I've Got You Under My Skin
by God of Lies
Summary: S.H.I.E.L.D. underling Alice Ward is pulled into the Avengers Initiative after she accidentally awakens an ancient weapon. When a training mission goes horribly wrong, she finds herself slowly drowning in a certain prince's sick obsession. Will she ever be able to free herself from his gilt shackles? Loki/OC
1. Chapter 1

Hello everyone!

Just a few notes before you begin: I have a rather awkward style of writing and tend to skip parts of the plot that I don't think important. However, I probably have at least a paragraph of background information for anything that is _not_ said, so don't hesitate to ask for details. IGYUMS started off as a lighthearted romp into Avengers fanfiction, but now that I'm almost 25,000 words in my writing has lapsed back into the crusty academic vernacular that I can't seem to get away from. Please bear with my stuffiness. Updates will hopefully come weekly and once posted will not be edited much, though no promises on that.

DISCLAIMER: Except for those created by God of Lies, all characters, plots, etc. belong to MARVEL and their respective copyright holders. This disclaimer applies to the fanfiction I've Got You Under My skin in its entirety, including all chapters and descriptions.

**~#~**

**I've Got You Under My Skin: Frank Sinatra**

I've got you under my skin

I have got you deep in the heart of me

So deep in my heart that you're really a part of me

I've got you under my skin

I've tried so not to give in

And I said to my self, this affair, it never will go so well

But why should I try to resist

When baby I know so well

That I've got you under my skin

I'd sacrifice anything, come what might

For the sake of having you near

In spite of a warning voice that comes in the night

And repeats, repeats in my ear

Don't you know, you fool, you never can win

Use your mentality

Wake up to reality

And each time I do, just the thought of you

Makes me stop before I begin

Cause I got you under my skin

Run for cover!

Run and hide!

I would sacrifice anything, come what might

For the sake of having you near

In spite of a warning voice that comes in the night

And repeats, how it yells in my ear

Don't you know, you fool, there ain't no chance to win

Why not choose your mentality

Wake up, step up to reality

And each time I do, just the thought of you

Makes me stop just before I begin

Because I got you under my shin

Yeah, you grabbed me

Under my skin

** This song was a very literal inspiration for this story. ****A good version can be found here: (youtube)/watch?v=_XCVnV5CGh0**

**~#~**

Tony Stark was bored. Due to Pepper's efficiency he was at least two hours early for the Avenger's jaunt to Asgard. Even Bruce wouldn't play with him. He was holed up in his lab, re-checking all the equipment he managed to squeeze in the tiny suitcase Fury had limited him to for the trip. It had gotten to the point where Tony had pulled out a pen and was tapping out Black Sabbath on the arc reactor. Just when he had figured stalking Coulson (who had never died in the first place but was just 'fake dead' to rally the team) was the best option he had, the door swooshed open and a mousy underling shuffled a food cart in. She gave him a half nervous, half apologetic little smile and dragged her burden over to the small side table at the head of the room. As she started carefully setting up a thermos and some light snacks, an idea came to Tony - an absurdly brilliant idea. He pulled out a pack of cards from his pocket, slowly took them out of the box, and then...

Alice jumped as Tony Stark slapped what sounded like a deck of cards onto the conference table. She paused and then carefully picked up the last plate - a veggie tray.

"Play a game of poker with me?"

Her whole body gave an involuntary twitch at actually being _addressed_ by a superior and the food went flying over her shoulder. Most of the tiny thuds that sounded were definitely not food against conference table or floor. Turning around, she watched as Mr. Stark pulled a carrot off his pants and popped it into his mouth.

"Now _have_ to play me. If you don't, this is going on YouTube."

Sure enough, while one hand was still on the cards on the table, the other was happily waiving around the cool gizmo. The man was attuned to trouble, she'd give him that. Too embarrassed to actually think about replying to the words coming out of his mouth, she dove for the stray pieces of celery scattered around his chair.

"I am so sorry Mr. Stark!" Although it was technically HIS fault for scaring her. "Let me get this cleaned up..."

"Call me Tony, please. Now, about..."

"EH?" Alice just stared up at him.

Stark unflappably took in her shocked look and used it to his advantage, "Tony. You, me, and poker. Game now."

He snapped at the chair across from him and shooed her away from her vegetable scavenger hunt. She was halfway around the table before she realized hurricane Stark had her firmly within it's path of destruction.

"I'm really sorry, but I have to pick this mess up." She headed back towards the vegetables and Tony frowned. "My boss would kill me if I left this. Heck, Fury himself would kill me if he had to step on mushrooms and celery for the whole pre-Asgard briefing."

'_Ooooo! Some spunk. I'm going to have to play dirty with this one.'_ Tony smiled viciously and tapped his fingers together.

"I'm your boss' boss. Therefore you're going to play poker with me." She opened her mouth but he steamrolled on, "No, you will not get in trouble. Yes, I will tell your direct superior not to kill you for the veggie mess. I'm bored. I want fun. Now sit your ass down and entertain me."

To seal his victory, he added a pout. Alice sighed but got up and plopped herself in the chair _Tony _was emphatically flapping his hand at. It was times like this she wished she could instantly act like she did with people she knew well. Around strangers or figures of authority, she turned into a very timid, very twitchy bunny. If Mr. Stark was one of her friends, she would have totally and loudly steamrollered _his _desire to play with her own. Oh well. She'd take what she could get. She was soooo going to get into trouble - 'Iron Man made me play cards' was beyond even a crappy excuse and she was very suspicious that he didn't have the rank necessary to make her boss back down - but it was worth it. She fantasized about getting to know the famous man. Not because he was so hot - oh, he was pretty - but because she thought he would make an _awesome _brother. Yeah, he wasn't dependable, but Alice had the tendency to drag people off when she wanted them, so no prob. And he was funny. For once, she wanted to break out of her 'box.' So what if she scared him away or mentally scarred him?

'_That sinks it!' _She looked at his pleased-as-punch expression and grinned back. '_This is on like Donkey Kong!'_

Tony was a little taken aback at the devilish glint that suddenly flared in the girl's eyes, but he went with it. She finally looked like she was ready for a challenge which meant that the possibility of boredom had just been rocketed out of the helicarrier faster than his suit could fly. He scooped up the deck and prepared to deal.

She looked at the cards and her smile faltered.

"I don't know how to play poker."

"WHAT?" He gaped.

"Er..." She held up an appeasing hand, rummaged in her uniform pocket, and then a different pack of cards was pulled out and tossed onto the table, "how about we play Uno, instead?"

Tony creaked his head towards the bright box and muttered, "You don't know how to play poker? Who doesn't know how to play poker? We're on a goddamn military _airship_. There are limited things for you to...I mean, what do...mahjong?"

Suddenly, his deck was slammed back into the box and into his pocket. "Fine. I'll play Uno. But only if you learn to play poker when I win."

Alice could practically _feel _his need to have her learn the game. Oh, she could turn this to her advantage. She gave an innocent smile, "_If_ you win, you mean. And if _I_ win..." she quickly thought of the most randomly impossible thing that she could ask for, "You convince Fury to let me go with you to Asgard."

"Done."

Mr. Stark would dearly regret his hasty decision in both the near and far future.

After ten rounds of furious battle, the winner was clear: Alice was going to Asgard.

**~#~**

Alice was in a random field, a little ways apart from the S.H.I.E.L.D. chopper and the flamboyantly suited Iron Man, Captain America and Thor (and professor-chic Bruce), staring at the grass beneath her boring black pumps in shock.

Tony had taken his loss in stride, declaring that she _would _learn poker, come hell or high water, and then efficiently zeroed in on Fury's location and blackmailed him with something on his phone. If it was enough to make Nick Fury pale, she didn't want to know. The rest of the team handled the news and subsequent introduction of a last minute addition surprisingly well, too. After a clearly visible internal debate, Captain America even gave her a winning smile and a thumbs up. A half an hour later she was shoved into a helicopter along with the non-flying Avengers and the rest of the support staff, still in her office uniform which was plainly emblazoned with the, 'I am an inept civilian government worker' badge of red ickyness. She got _looks_ from the heavily armored soldiers. She agreed with those looks.

"Miss Ward." Mr. Fury sounded just a mite grouchy, "We're ready."

She scurried over to the small group that was going and they were all herded towards the center of the clearing by the rest of the S.H.I.E.L.D. people. Nick Fury was staying behind, had in fact taken his place behind a staggering collection of portable monitors and was absentmindedly hand-signaling directions to his lackeys.

Thor took up the center of their huddle and shouted to the sky in his own direct way, "Heimdall, gatekeeper, open the bifrost! These mortals have an audience with the Allfather!"

Almost immediately, Alice could see a blue light descend and suddenly, she was hurdling through space. Some of their contingent took this type of travel better than others. She just pretended she was a rocket and managed to avoid flailing like Tony. Too soon for her taste, she popped out on the other end, incredibly staying on her feet as she skidded across the polished floor.

Thor took the lead and they all followed him across the newly re-constructed rainbow bridge. Through the nerves and shock, Alice recognized that she wanted to literally hug the bifrost. It was _pretty._ In fact, the whole city was shiny. Slightly tacky, but SHINY. Thank god that though Stark had wheedled her into the mission she was banned from their meeting with Odin - she could revel in the sparkle. As they neared the outer palace, it finally occurred to her that she was in Asgard. After that, Alice truly _looked _at the intricate buildings and towers around her. This was going to have to be another one of her out of the 'box' moments in order to make the most of her visit.

Thor stopped them as they reached Odin's audience chamber and turned to her, "This is where we part, Alice Ward." He directed her a little ways down the hall to a secluded bench with a gorgeous view of the city outside. "Please stay here until we are done. It should not be long." Again - straight to the point and said with the gusto only Thor was capable of, which also meant there was absolutely no room for argument.

As soon as he was gone, Alice slumped onto the bench. So, this was _not _going to be one of her out of the 'box' moments. Thor, and by extension Fury, had effectively 'boxed' her into the most minimal role they could. Oh, well, at least she got the window. Heck, this was waaay better than how her day would have usually gone.

But, damn it, she wanted to explore!

She looked around discreetly. She was in Asgard. Alone. With no Nick Fury or boss person. She was fairly sure she was under Thor's protection for this trip. She was going exploring. She was going to get fired, but she was going exploring.

She took off like the rabbit she had compared herself to earlier. Trying her best to channel 'ninja,' she ghosted her way through the shining halls of the palace, enjoying getting to spy on Asgardians as they went about their business. However, as she drifted around, she became aware that something was _tugging _her to a specific place. She did NOT like this tug. In fact, she tried her best to meander away from wherever this nonspecific something was pointing her towards. She was _not _stupid enough to think it could be anything good. So, fifteen minutes later saw her struggling to get her reneging body back to the throne room so she could call for Thor. As she watched her hand twitch towards a stairwell that led to the depths of the building, she belatedly thought that even Stark would be welcome help at this point.

'_Where is a friggin guard when you need one?'_ Alice wondered as she ran herself into a wall, narrowly missing starting down the stairs. _'Come on!'_

She managed to fight for another minute or two before her body finally had enough and she blacked out. When she came to she realized she was kneeling in a domed chamber full of expensive looking weapons on pedestals. Her right hand was tightly clenched around the handle of a hammer. It had a smaller head than Mjolnir although the same celtic-looking engraving was etched into the pale gold metal. The handle was also longer and slimmer, wrapped in black leather. It felt _really _nice in her hand. Which, she realized, was stuck to the weapon like it was superglued there.

"Oh, no." The whimper broke the dam holding back the panic. She scrambled up and started crazily tugging on her appendage like a balking donkey. No matter how hard Alice tried, she couldn't get her hand unstuck. Heaving wildly, she realized she was in _major _trouble. It wasn't clear how major until an apple rolled into the room and bounced into her other hand, securing itself tightly to her palm.


	2. Chapter 2

The meeting was almost wrapped up when a woman suddenly burst into the room and sprinted for the dais. Odin gave a shout, "Idunn, what is the meaning of this? What has..."

"Myrkr has taken an apple!" Father and son fell into stunned silence. Throw in the shocked Avengers, and all that could be heard was Idunn's labored gasps.

It took a few seconds to kickstart Thor into asking, "Father? This can not be...the Darkness is asleep. Mjolnir would surely react to its sister's awakening..."

Odin shot up with a speed that Thor had believed his father no longer capable of. "She is _not _awake. Not yet." All of the Avengers trailed after him as he hotfooted it to the doors. "Myrkr would shake Yggdrasil down to its roots if she were to finally find her mate."

And with that, the palace started shuddering.

**~#~**

Down in Midgard, an acerbic smile stole its way across a very recently escaped prince's face.

Myrkr had awakened.

The realms were being thrown into glorious chaos.

And he was damn well going to take advantage of it.

**~#~**

On autopilot Alice ate the apple. She guessed if she was going to die, at least it would be a yummy death. But, after polishing off the fruit in record time she didn't immediately keel over, she kind of started hoping that she would survive whatever horrible thing was happening. Until her body started convulsing. She was hit with such extreme pain, she sagged to the floor, the arm grasping the hammer tilted up awkwardly. After what she guessed had to be at least a few minutes, she deemed her death would be a slow and painful one. Luckily, the hammer started glowing, its soft golden light somehow eclipsing the physical pain, and sending cool relief washing down her arm and through her body. A sense of _something _entered her after that, swishing through her both physically and mentally. It wasn't exactly a cognizant presence, but an impression of immense _power._ It settled into her very being, clearing away the cobwebs of her mortality. She finally realized at least part of the frightening, terrible, wonderful truth.

'_Ooooooooh shit. I am in SO SO much trouble.' _

The hammer finally came free of its pedestal. Unprepared, Alice let her arm and gravity guide it violently down. The clang it made as it met the marble echoed beautifully around the room and she heard, '_Myrkr'_ whispered over and over in her head. The strike, like a stone hitting water, also caused the floor to heave and rumble outward.

Within moments, she registered the tromping of what she knew were Avenger boots. They entered the room at a fast clip, Odin in front. He ground to a halt, thumping his staff on the now shattered floor half in anger, half in shock. The rest of them fanned out, ready for action, but were met with the sight of one Alice Ward sitting forlornly in the epicenter of superhero-level destruction. She gave them all a halfhearted little wave and then hunched her shoulders in self preservation. It was then that they realized that she looked _a lot _different from when they left her at the doors to the audience chamber and that a hammer was stuck in her right hand. Collectively, their mental response to this was,

'_FUCK.'_

**~#~**

After much coaxing, they finally got Alice upstairs and into the throne room. Someone grabbed a couch and plopped her down onto it. Odin seemed to want to pounce right then and there, but Thor, surprisingly, held his father back. She was distraught and...changed.

In the span of a half an hour, Alice's hair had lightened from dirty blond to passably platinum. Her face had thinned out and her brown eyes had gone almost black. More importantly was the way she held the hammer - like she knew _exactly _how to use it. And she had armor on that rivaled Thor's. That little surprise popped into being when Cap tried to pick her up from the floor. In poofed a blue cape, rose gold plating, shiny black leather and a stunning helmet. All in all, it was very impressive. But then Steve dropped her. That armor sure was perceptive.

So, once she was settled on the couch they all retreated to a corner of the room and gave each other nervous glances until she finally waved them over of her own accord.

"Come on guys. I think I'm okay now."

The Avengers crowded around as Odin softly (scarily) commented, "You have a story to tell us, Alice Ward."

She looked terrified but related her end of things as best as she could. Apparently, the hammer had forcibly dragged her to it and made her its master. Odin seemed the tiniest bit happier about this - fate or an astronomically ancient and powerful object intervening was worlds better than a human consciously taking all that power. After assessing the low level of threat and registering the group's desperate need for clarity, he finally gave the humans an explanation about Myrkr,

"Myrkr was forged by Sindri, the same smith who forged Mjolnir." He ran his hand just above Myrkr's head. As if irritated, it shot a mini lightning bolt at him and he pretended to ignore the singed flesh. "After creating Mjolnir, Sindri was unhappy with its imperfections and method of creation and decided to make a perfect hammer."

Yikes, if Thor's hammer was prototype 1, then Myrkr was...horrifying.

Tony was looking a little green as he stared between the hammer and the girl. He was having a major guilt trip for loosing that Uno challenge. He was still going to teach her how to play Poker, but hopefully the hammer would be far, _far_ away when that was happening.

"Instead of a forge, he used a dying star, molding the metal until Myrkr was stronger than any weapon made before or after. Just like Mjolnir, it can be used to fly, it comes back to the hand that threw it. But it doesn't call thunder. No."

He looked at poor, frozen Alice, "If its wielder wishes, it can hit with the same force that could be found in the heart of its womb. It has the power to control what Midgardians call dark matter."

Only Stark gasped like a kid at Christmas at the revelation. Bruce was eerily calm.

"It controls a colossal amount of gravity. To put it simply, it completely _crushes_ any opponent. It is the perfect reflection of Mjolnir, just like Sindri wanted. But that is not the most terrifying power the hammer posses. It can take on any elemental power and amplify it."

His eye latched on to Alice's face as he said the next bit,

"Alice could freeze an entire city in the blink of an, eye. Raise an entire forest with a only a thought."

If she had a kitten, she would have looked like someone had just drowned it. Odin could see that the human was smart enough to be terrified. It was a small comfort.

"Though it was Sindri's greatest work and the mightiest weapon known to the realms, it was stowed away because of its power. However, Myrkr is a magical weapon and we all knew the day would come when it would recognize and _demand_ its warrior, its mate - the person who could wield it to its full potential. Apparently, this girl is it."

Alice gulped as all eyes turned to her. "S...so, what does this mean, exactly?"

Thor solemnly said, "It means that you will be made to eat _many_ more apples, Alice Ward."

**~#~**

Once Odin had made a cursory power play for Alice (which was shot down spectacularly by Myrkr), a token grumble about her being a puny human not worthy to handle the legendary hammer, assigned Thor as her babysitter, and then grandly swept out to give an announcement to his people about the earthquake, the Avengers and Alice managed to make their way back across the pretty rainbow bridge and down to earth.

Fury took one look at Alice and the sparking mallet in her hand and very uncharacteristically huffed out, "Motherfucker!"

He then, in a scary display of personality flip-flop, attempted to crack a pleasant expression and welcomed her to her new promotion within the ranks of S.H.I.E.L.D. - Avenger in training. The subsequent grilling (or slow roasting) of everyone about what had happened up above lasted well after they had packed up, flown back (all team members were confined to the chopper, regardless of anti-gravity ability), and reached the conference room.

As soon as possible, Alice slunk out and headed for her room. Unfortunately for the new junior Avenger, the Director was very, very through. When she found her keycard null-in-void and her room emptied, it was the last straw. She charged back into the conference room, glaring death and screeching like a banshee. Everyone but Fury jumped.

"Miss Ward, get a hold of yourself."

The hammer buzzed and the lights flicked off.

"_Miss Ward_!"

When Nicholas Joseph Fury took that tone, hell froze over. Alice's blubbering came to an abrupt halt and the lights obediently turned back on.

"Now, I suggest you return to your room and get some rest. Take tomorrow off." Alice figured it was better to scavenge the ship for her new room than speak up at that particular moment. Just as she turned for the door, Natasha strode in.

"Miss Romanoff, welcome back. Kindly escort Miss Ward to her room and then report back here." The Black Widow didn't even look surprised - she just nodded and about-faced. Alice rushed after her power-walk and followed her onto a deck reserved for the Avengers and high-ranked organization members.

"I thought I saw some crew going in and out of here before I left." She stopped in front of a nondescript door, "try your card."

Sure enough, the light turned green and she was met with the sight of cardboard boxes strewn neatly across a _very _large room. While she was ogling, Natasha disappeared. Finding herself finally alone, she sank down on the generically made bed. Myrkr was still in her hand and she experimentally let it slide through her grasp to the floor. It didn't reattach itself to her palm, thank god. A second later, the armor started disappearing.

As she watched metal and leather dissolve, Alice realized she felt...bad...and good. Combined this meant that she wanted to cry. However, what she _did_ do was heave her self up, cautiously sidle away from the hammer, and start rummaging around the boxes for her toothbrush. By the time she hit the jackpot, she was back in her uniform and tears were silently dripping onto the cardboard. It stood to reason that there might be a bathroom attached to this kind of room and of the two doors she had to pick from, she hit the right one on the first try. However, when she caught her reflection in the mirror, the trickle of water turned into a flood.

She was different! It was a good change, she supposed, but she was upset at the change nonetheless. Hell, she was upset that she kinda, deep down, _liked _the change. She had been noticing little things in the few hours since she ate the apple. Her skin was utterly smooth. Her butt was rock hard. She could lift the S.H.I.E.L.D. chopper with one hand. Other things were slowly creeping into her awareness and so far, so awesomely cool. But she wasn't technically human anymore, and she mourned the threshold that was crossed without so much as a look back.

'_Ugh! This is all Stark's fault.' _

She let out a watery chuckle and brushed her teeth. She would become a total beast at poker. And if the resulting bastard-thrashing and Tony tears weren't enough, she could always put her hammer to good use. He would most likely keep mum if a gigantic hole inexplicably appeared in that shiny, expensive suit of his.

Yes. It was a plan.

**~#~**

For her day off, Alice engaged in a massive self-therapy session. This did not involve gargantuan amounts of gourmet ice cream and crappy soap operas. She HATED the combination of those things with a passion. Instead, she allowed herself a little bowl of ice cream from the mess hall, plugged her laptop into her room's audio system, and then danced her ass off as she made the space look as close as she could to her old one.

On her way to dinner, she ran into Tony and was pleasantly surprised to learn that he was feeling extremely guilty over yesterday's fiasco and that he was willing to extend the Stark equivalent of an olive branch. Unlimited access to Stark tower and limo services were mentioned. She just settled with dragging him along to the cafeteria and having him teach her poker. As soon as she got the hang of it, she honestly started giving Tony a run for his money. The duo waged a very impressive and very loud war that had half the helicarrier cruising past their table in curiosity. Then Steve stopped by. This bolstered their snack food jackpot to such comical heights that some of the observers were taking bets on the winner with their own rations.

Of course, with all that food being bandied about, Thor bounded into the cafeteria like a bloodhound and finessed his way in, too. Hours later, Alice had her whipped enemies carry all of her winnings back up to her room. The formality barrier had been throughly breached in the throes of the game, as well as any questions of Alice's insanity, so they all left with smiles and jabs at her dumb luck.

As she settled in for the night, she realized that she had thoroughly stepped out of her shy-box with most of the Avengers. This, in and of itself, was more than enough to make her fall asleep with a smile instead of tears.

The next morning saw her sitting in a smaller conference room opposite the Director. She was mercilessly informed that she was not allowed to wear the uniform she currently had on since her status had changed. What could she wear? Well, anything but that. Casual was discouraged but not totally out of the question. However, a nice black and camo based wardrobe had just been issued and would be worn for training.

Ah, yes. Training was, apparently, the only thing she was allowed to do as an Avenger Jr. Combat lessons with Captain America in the mornings, weapons and espionage by the Black Widow in the afternoon, and a rotation of gadgets and logic based training from Bruce, Tony and other key personnel. This was all contingent on everyone's availability since, aside from Natasha, and to a limited extent, Steve, team members had the annoying tendency to disappear at will. As a prime example, Hawkeye, who had taken a mini-vacation from S.H.I.E.L.D. after the battle with Loki, would be picking up her weapons training when he came back.

Fury was determined to turn her civilian ass into a fighting machine come Christmas.

There was also the small matter of her hammer. The gym had been blocked out each day for Myrkr bonding time. Thor, apparently, had signed himself up as teacher.

Fury handed her a hefty file for homework and dismissed her to the first one of these.

After changing and stuffing a knapsack full of some of her poker loot, she gingerly picked up the hammer and made her way to the gym.

Alice's junk food bribe had gone over better and worse than she had planned. Proffering the knapsack to Thor, he immediately plopped himself down on one of the training mats and patted the spot next to him. He tore into a package of Slim Jims and addressed her.

"Alice, when you came in you were holding Myrkr as if it were a serpent. Why?"

Grabbing a few things from the bag while she still had the chance, she meekly answered, "I don't like it."

"You are scared of it." When she didn't answer, he continued, "I was taught to never forget a weapon's worth but also to never be afraid of wielding it."

He dropped a Snowball wrapper into the trash pile. "Alice, Myrkr holds an enormous amount of power, but both my father and I believe that it can be controlled. It will not hurt you and, if you dedicate yourself to mastering it, it will not hurt others."

"But..."

"No. You cannot let your fear control you." He gave her a long look, "I have been put into situations that I did not like and could not control."

She loosely grasped the handle and then jerked her hand away as she felt a mental purr from the hammer. Thor reached over and tugged her hand back over the leather. "You _have _to face it. Myrkr is now a part of you. Dealing with this responsibility would make a lesser man quake, but running away is unforgivable."

Food forgotten, he knelt in front of her. "Lady Alice, I am going to teach you how to wield your hammer proudly and how to use your new abilities like a true warrior of Asgard. I will run you into the ground if I have to, but you _must _recognize the hammer's worth and your own capability."

Alice squeaked and Thor crawled back over to the snacks. They ate in silence. Although her appetite was practically gone, she got through a Snickers bar as she mustered up the courage to commit herself to two daily hours of mental and physical torture.

"Okay." Thor smiled around about five Twizzlers at her announcement. She poked him for his absurd eating skills. "But I _will _complain. I'm lazy and traumatized."

The Asgardian understood this bantering-around-emotions thing well, and soon the food had been polished off and he was facing her in the center of the room with Mjolnir in hand.

"Come at me."

"WHAT?" She backed away from the crazy warrior. "No way. I don't know what this thing does. I could kill you!"

Thor just chucked and reiterated, "Come at me. You won't kill me."

"No."

After realizing that goading Alice was a no-go, he finally just swiped at her. She blocked perfectly and reflexively attacked. Twenty minutes later the gym looked like a mini-meteor shower had hit it and Alice had realized that the hammer really _was_ her friend. It wasn't a person in hammer form but it was smart and aware enough to pick up on her emotions and desires and execute what she wanted flawlessly. It also helped that when Myrkr had made her its master she had been pre-programmed to scary-level deadly. Alice almost felt like Neo as she watched herself do things that she only saw in Bruce Lee movies.

Sure, she was athletic before this had happened - a serious fencer, swimmer, and ice skater and an occasional archer, horsewoman, golfer, jogger, etc. - but she was by no means in tip-top shape. She considered biking off-road to be an extreme sport. The flips, twirls, and hammer-play she displayed as she battled Thor had been..._waaaaay_ beyond extreme.

As they stood huffing at the edge of a crater, Thor clapped his free hand over his chest and gave her a short bow. "You are indeed a worthy opponent. I look forward to exploring the limits of Myrkr with you."

Crap. Even after that she had to do the training.

When Fury found out about the gym and Alice's prowess with the hammer, he moved any and all Myrkr battle to a land-based S.H.I.E.L.D. facility. All but one day a week would be spent in the helicarrier's gym (once it was fixed) learning about Asgard culture and her immortal state.

It took a week for Thor to teach her how to control her armor (it seemed as though the surprise appearance in Asgard was a one-time reflex) and another for Steve to help her grasp how to throw a punch correctly, but slowly, Alice made progress with her lessons and her teachers. They all came to look at her like an adopted kitten. A boisterous and _deadly _kitten.

Even the Director was pleased. When the holidays rolled around, Alice Walker was well on her way to becoming a contributing member of the Avengers team. Giving in to the Christmas spirit for once, he sent her what he thought was an _extremely _generous gift.

**~#~**

Alice came back from Tony-training to find a folder laying at the foot of her bed. Scooping it up, she flicked through it. Her first mission as a junior Avenger had come. She was to accompany the team for a mission on New Years Eve.


	3. Chapter 3

Loki had been a busy, busy boy. While he hadn't been able to ascertain the exact reason Myrkr had acted out, he'd kept himself entertained trailing after the shockwave as it had rolled across Midgard. He could say with no small amount of pride that the destructive chaos had almost doubled due to his efforts.

Fury and the Avengers had been trying their best to piece cities and key parts of the world's infrastructure back together after the quake had rumbled down the world tree and throughout Earth, causing avalanches, seismic eruptions, and tsunamis. Strangely, Loki only observed each team member in shifts. They came and went on cue, as if something were pulling them back to base at an arranged time every day. Just as he decided he'd have to go snooping to figure out this tempting puzzle, he reconnaissanced a wonderful bit of information: all of the Avengers, including the recently absentee Hawkeye, were assembling for a swift and bloody attack. _On him._

Oh the irony.

Oh the opportunity.

At exactly 20:00 on December 31, the helicarrier was cruising over the eastern seaboard and Loki was lounging on the wing of an F-35 on deck. He watched as the non-flying superheroes climbed aboard a S.H.I.E.L.D. helicopter and the others took off. After the rear door was closed, he stealthily crossed the tarmac and vaulted onto the tail. Seconds after, the chopper was airborne and swerving north, presumably towards New York, where they thought he was going to start some mischief.

He gave them a head start of about five minutes and then triggered his attack on the S.H.I.E.L.D. base. Earlier, he had rigged one of the ship's main rotors. It was an attack mirroring the one he had launched before, except that this time instead of finesse he went for subtlety - he willed his magic through layers of machinery to remotely disconnect a component that wouldn't be detected and couldn't be fixed until much later without Tony Stark's assistance.

By the time news came of the emergency, they were already over Staten Island and angling for the twinkling Manhattan skyline. Before a decision could be made on the change of circumstance or the Director could contact them with directions, Loki scooted over to the main propeller's mast, latched onto the metal at its base, and gave a mighty heave. Both the plating and shaft bent and the transmission failed, throwing the machine into a sharp dive. Iron Man and Thor managed to catch it but could only cushion the landing as it crashed into a residential area. It was sheer luck that they came to rest in a small, snow covered suburban park.

Loki hopped off in time to watch the helicopter plunge to the ground and flatten a play area. Thor had already sniffed him out and roared his name in exasperation. Pity it was drowned out by the squeal of swing set on chopper hide. The rest of the team stumbled onto soggy wood chips and Natasha and a decidedly human Bruce dragged the poor pilot and also what he assumed was the token S.H.I.E.L.D. lackey to a clear spot amongst the wreckage. They all closed ranks around the two and trained their various weapons on him.

Oh dear, this looked fun.

He laughed crazily and Thor snapped, hurtling Mjolnir in his direction. This seemed to be the cue for superhero theatrics as at least half of them followed his example. He was promptly at the center of an attack. However, instead of fighting (which was pointless, considering), he focused on dodging and distracting. He was _just _good enough to be able to hold his own against all of them in the hectic dark. His doubles were also helping a bit, at least where Thor was concerned.

Unfortunately, Hawkeye had a night vision scope. Just as Loki was about to declare the diversion a success, make a mocking speech, and disappear, he was blindsided by a well-placed arrow. It connected with his shoulder and exploded, throwing him clear away from the brawl. He arced past the Black Widow and thudded to a stop almost on top of the pilot.

Painfully, he moved to roll up and away but paused when he felt, for the first time in his long existence, a trickle of magic that was _not_ his own wend its way through his consciousness. He quickly sharpened his focus through the throbbing ache in his torso and wildly searched for the source. He found it right in front of him in the form of the supposed lackey. She was propped up against the hull, dazed. Stumbling up and grabbing a fistful of uniform, he dragged her along with him as he cleared the crash site. He could practically hear the inhale in shocked worry as the Avengers caught sight of who he had in his clutches.

This was a _very _interesting development. The girl was important.

In less than five seconds, Hawkeye was covering him and Iron Man had launched himself across the snow. Tragically, it was more than enough time for Loki to explode the fuselage they were all so conveniently converging upon. The Avengers rocketed away from the force of the blast, and the unconscious pilot was consumed in the blaze.

He formally called out to a winded Thor, "I apologize, _brother_. Perhaps our next battle will be better fought."

Nimbly dodging an arrow, he ignored a command of "Loki, put the girl down!" from Captain America and took off into the night.

**~#~**

Loki had somehow managed to drag Alice away from the team and into a...cab...of all things. Her poor, unprepared brain was still stunned at the horrible destruction of her first mission and the only thing she could muster was a, "How in the hell is there a cab all the way out here?"

Loki gave her a prickly titter and an, 'I have evil ways' look. He then proceeded to rip what was left of Hawkeye's arrow out of his shoulder. Other than that, the ride into Manhattan was silent. He kept showering her with creepy stares and somewhere between East 96th and 97th she couldn't take it anymore. As the car stopped for New Years Eve traffic she made a break for it, stumbling out into the road. She didn't even make it onto the sidewalk. Suddenly, Loki was in front of her, dressed in an impeccable business suit. As his Armani-clad arms snaked around her, he cooed to the gawking passerby, "Sorry, my girlfriend's had a little too much to drink tonight." And then she was back in the cab, on his lap, locked in a death grip.

As they made their way forward, the suit melted back into his armor and he hissed, "I suggest you don't try that again. Unless, of course, you want to be maimed."

She nodded tamely and tried to struggle over to her seat. Loki just shoved Alice back against the door next to him and _tutted _at her. They reached a swanky Upper East Side apartment building in frigid quiet. He tried carrying her in, but his shoulder spurted blood so instead he dragged her through the lobby by the wrist. The few people lounging around didn't even glance at their odd appearance.

Of course, his apartment was on the top floor. This meant there was only one neighbor she could try to get help from. Although she assumed the walls were soundproofed and doors practically bombproof, so it was a very slim chance. Sure enough, it was eerily quiet inside. Loki tossed Alice onto a sofa in the living room and then sunk into the one opposite. Again, he just stared. After twenty minutes of watching the blood drip from his shoulder onto the couch, she asked,

"Shouldn't that have healed by now?"

Loki kept on staring.

She hesitated and then got up. When he didn't stop her, she hustled into the kitchen (with a quick detour to confirm that the front door was, indeed, locked) and grabbed a tea towel that was hanging on the stove. She didn't _want _to help him, but she refused to give in to the large part of her that salivated over his death. She knew if he was that blasé he probably wasn't going to keel over, but 'probably' didn't cut it. Natasha would kill her if she didn't, so she quietly checked the drawers and cabinets for weapons. Finding everything depressingly empty, she went back into the living room and shoved the towel against his shoulder.

"Here, this should help."

He wheezed in pain and then slid his hand over the cloth. Satisfied that it wasn't going to slide off, she sat back down.

Loki's shoulder was, indeed, more damaged than Alice suspected. The bolt's detonation had shattered bone and tore through blood vessels and muscle. Blood and other fluids were seeping into his thoracic cavity at an alarming rate. It was going to take hours for his body and his magic to fully re-mend everything. Back in the cab, Loki decided to use this in the best way he could - by giving her the silent treatment he would have more energy to use for healing, he could prod her magic and mind with his mouth closed, and she might, if he was lucky, be a babbler. He was sadly disappointed on that last count. Anyone with enough mental gumption to remember to check the door and look for weapons would probably have the fortitude to use her words smartly. A couple minutes after she retrieved the tea towel, all she had managed to spout were questions about why she was here and what he was going to do with her. Without giving a single thing away about herself. Grr.

Now that they were away from the chaos and in such close quarters, Loki could easily track her magical signature. It practically latched onto his and tried to _play._ It was a horrifying experience to try and disentangle himself from the minefield of her vast, untrained potential. Hypnotizing her was also a failure. Her mind was like a steel trap that slapped its jaws shut as soon as he snuck his metaphysical toe in.

So all he could do was sit, stare, and give her needy magic a proverbial slap on the wrist any time it edged too close.

She was an interesting puzzle, even without cheats. The girl had the coloring of an Asgardian and the magic of a higher level being. However, she acted and carried herself like a human.

"You were recently mortal," he guessed.

She comically twitched up in shock. One point for him.

"You've been to Asgard." Two points for him.

"You've eaten an apple," he practically hummed out. Three points for him.

"You're an Avenger." No, not quite. "You're part of the support team?" Neither was that.

"You have magic."

The corner of Loki's mouth witched upward as she sputtered, "_What?_"

"You name is...?"

She snapped into a submissive position, "A...Alice. Sir."

And with that the jig was up. The 'sir' seemed to trigger something and he watched her come to the conclusion that she was following the dangling carrot much too willingly. Huffing, she relaxed into the couch as best she could.

Alice had fallen for his manipulation quite soundly. Embarrassed, she clammed up. There was something...off...about what he did. She was given his S.H.I.E.L.D. file before the mission and was aware of the abilities that the organization knew about. While he couldn't read minds, he could influence them. Why, then, did it seem like he was struggling? Perhaps he _couldn't _manipulate her? Finally, some higher power had given her a break! Or not. If he couldn't get the info the easy way...gulp. She shied away from that train of thought.

Steeling herself, she thrust herself out of her 'box' of meekness, making a desperate gamble - a random mental pattern and this supposed magic of hers would be enough to keep him guessing and intrigued long enough to survive.

Loki was quite startled when the girl...Alice...riveted her gaze on his torso and sighed longingly, "Can I hug your cape?"

Well, this was...different. He watched bemusedly as without warning she launched herself forward and tugged the green fabric out from under him. Sinking down on the neighboring cushion, Alice wrapped as much of the cape around her as she could and started to pet it. He slowly swiveled his head towards her and raised an eyebrow. She gave him a goofy smile.

He tossed her over the back of the couch.

She landed somewhere behind him with a thud. Sif had taken worse. He was sure Alice could handle it. However, when he didn't hear so much as a peep for a good minute, he turned to look. And found her peeking over the cushions at the swathe of green that was curled next to him.

He glanced between her and the cape and then hooted with laughter.

"You can't win this, Alice."

She gave him a curious stare, "Are we playing a game?"

Flashing her a devious smirk, he whispered, "Shall I just kill you, then?"

Surprisingly, she stepped up to the plate. "Naw. What would be the fun in that?"

He knew her angle. Recognized that too much of the faked craziness was real. He'd hit the jackpot with this one. He gestured for her to go back to the opposite couch. She ignored him and kept salivating over the cape.

"Do you know my brother?"

"His cape is definitely not as nice as yours." She slipped a hand down the cushions and made a cursory grab. He snapped the wool out of her reach with a chuckle.

"_How_ do you know my brother?"

"He likes food. And poker." Continuing the game of capture-the-cloak, he kept trying to goad her into answers. None were forthcoming. Damn. As he suspected, _this_ was her true character - devious, random, and sadistic. He couldn't decide if he wanted to throw her off the roof or keep her as a pet. After a while she wandered off to get him another compress to replace the ruined tea towel.

When she came back he pounced. Swooping up and thrusting her against the nearby window, he latched onto her head. Her shield was strong, but he had years of experience to hone his skill. Battering her mind mercilessly, he looked for a way in. Having her as a puppet would make Loki breathe easier that night. But try as he might, he couldn't force it, and with a great crack, her latent magic rebelled. He catapulted across the room, landed on his shoulder, and was out like a light.

Alice slid down the plate glass and watched him for a very tense minute. When he didn't move, she made a mad dash for the door before realizing that it was still locked. There was no way for her to escape. She checked for a phone resignedly. Of course, there wasn't one. She unscrewed a leg off the dining room table and thwacked him over the head with it. It friggin didn't even leave a scratch. She longed to call Myrkr and pound his ass into oblivion, but held back. It looked like Loki didn't know the extent of her situation and she wanted to leave it that way unless absolutely necessary. A bad, bad part of her had been piqued in curiosity when he mentioned magic. No one at base had brought it up and they probably didn't even suspect.

What if she...?

'_Oh, hell no.' _

The fact that she had no other avenue of escape was NOT a fortuitous sign. She should just call the hammer and fly out while he was still unconscious. She _should,_ but that didn't mean she _wanted to_.

So she was stuck. And scared.

There was only one thing to do - leave him to bleed like the bastard he was, root around in the fridge for food, and then watch some television. Alice flipped to the live feed from times square. As she listened to New York New York and watched fireworks blossoming above the harbor from her penthouse vantage point, she feared for what little sanity she had left.

**~#~**

Nick Fury had seen his share of botched missions, but this one ranked very high on his list of epic failure. Not only was the helicarrier out of the air and listing dangerously close to total ruin off the coast, but his crack team had been ambushed, the pilot killed and a soldier snatched from under their noses. And in the chaos, she had gotten separated from her weapon.

It had been an entire night since they last saw Alice Ward and the crash site was now a bare-bones replica of the one in the desert where Mjolnir had fallen. Both the Director and Thor came to the conclusion that Loki had not found out about the hammer. The be-caped superhero kept promising him and the rest of the Avengers that Alice could probably survive an encounter with his brother. This wasn't very reassuring.

On top of that, worry was mounting around the question of _when _Loki was going to piece things together. So, after waiting as long as they could, Fury called for a wrap up and Thor played Putt-Putt. Mjolnir was not as strong as its sister, but that did not mean it didn't have sufficient might to move it. After a little whacking, he managed to get it across the neighborhood and into the bay. S.H.I.E.L.D. discreetly covered the area where it sunk, cleaned the park of anything hammer-related, and then let the local authorities have at it.

Sure enough, later that evening, surveillance caught Loki drifting over the scene. He did a cursory fly-by, but it seemed as though he found exactly what he wasn't looking for and left in a huff. Tracking him failed.

The Avengers were left to worry over their newest member's fate.

**~#~**

Loki had awoken sometime in the wee hours of the morning, refreshed and growling death. Promptly, she was seized from the couch and shoved to the middle of the living room. He then snapped some sort of force field around her. She had to stand stock-still or the skin that brushed against the barrier was immediately cauterized.

It had been almost an entire day and she was still there, fatigued, trembling and pissed off. Every once in a while Loki ghosted into the room and gave her a mocking little smirk. It seemed as though he had given up on questioning her. She suspected he was having much more fun with her in the bubble.

It was early evening by the time she broke. The fact that he turned on the local news did it. As she was regaled with shots of the crash scene and a statement by Steve about the unfortunate 'mechanical error' that happened on a routine patrol, she felt _something_ lash out from her to the barrier. The sucker was fried in a nanosecond and she gratefully tumbled to the floor. Only to be picked up and put right back into a new one.

"You fucker!"

He ignored her and slowly settled back down onto the couch by the T.V. He even illusioned up a jumbo margarita and set it right where she could see it. It took another two hours to have a repeat performance. This continued until she got the hang of controlling that 'something' well enough to tear down the magic on command. When Alice could only be kept still for as long as it took her to punch through the barrier, Loki figured his fun was over.

Then she lashed out with her ever-eager magic and flung him across the room again.

As he scrambled up and watched her take his seat on the couch, he understood there were only two options: destroy Alice or teach her.

He chose option number one.

It was the wrong choice.

An hour later, he finally realized that he had truly met his match in this enigmatic woman. Really, the only reason he could figure as to how the _fuck _he managed to drag her across New York was the fact she was oblivious to her magical power. _That _oversight had been thoroughly addressed. The apartment was utterly destroyed and they were both slumped, exhausted, on the one couch left standing.

"Truce?" she croaked out.

Loki knew not to look a gift horse in the mouth. He ground out a nonchalant, "I suppose."

"I'm hungry." She lazily grumbled. When Loki remained silent, she continued, "Can we get Chinese?"

"Why not?" Cackling softly in bitter amusement, he proffered a newly-conjured menu. She took it cautiously and scooted as far away from his creepy vibes as she could.

"There's no phone."

"Tell me what you want. I'll order." He gave her another one of his deep and creepy looks.

"I'll just take a large General Tao. With white rice." She placed the menu back in his outstretched hand. He looked off at the wall for a moment and then muttered,

"Done." The booklet disappeared. "It should be here in about twenty minutes."

They sat in silence until the delivery guy came. She trailed Loki into the kitchen and watched as he took out plates and silverware from the cupboards.

"Weren't those empty a little while ago?"

Yet another look.

"I'm a master illusionist." He dished himself out some sweet and sour chicken and then headed back into the living room. By the time she filled her plate and grabbed a soda from the fridge, he had a battered end table in front of the sofa and the television was upright and on. Wow. This was getting surprisingly domestic.

Once her tummy was filled, Alice started drifting off to sleep. Still uneasy, she did her best to erect her own force field, but each time Loki sadistically picked apart her efforts.

"Now you're just being petty," she pouted.

He countered with a, "Why don't you tell me about Myrkr, oh magnanimous one."

She glared murder. "Myrkr? I'm not familiar with that." He raised an eyebrow. She raised one back. "If you'd care to explain..."

He didn't. Too tired to give a shit, she got up and found the spare bedroom. Loki waited until after he heard the door slam and the bed creak before he left. In full view of S.H.I.E.L.D. operatives, he canvased the crash site for any trace of the hammer. There was absolutely nothing. Leading those trailing him on a merry chase, he made his way back to the apartment. Unlocking its door via magic, he skulked into the spare bedroom. Alice had cocooned herself in the sheets and another barrier. Oh joy. He gently tore it down and scooped her up. Carefully jostling her out of the apartment and onto the roof of the building, he took off.

**~#~**

Finally, someone caught the traffic cam footage from New Years Eve. It was an hallelujah! moment, for sure. Clint and Steve were off on assignment, but the rest of the team were working emergency repair duty out in the Atlantic. They were en route before the cab was traced back to an apartment on the Upper East Side. They went gangbusters on the penthouse, barging in with guns and knives and cannons a-blazing, only to find the place deserted and worryingly torn apart.

There was nothing there to give any clues as to where Loki had taken the junior Avenger. Alice would be on her own for a potentially fatal amount of time.


	4. Chapter 4

Alice was pulled out of sleep when something tickled her arm. She opened her eyes and was nose-to-antennae with a huge cockroach. Screeching, she bounded out of the bed with agility usually reserved for when she was using Myrkr. And then she realized that the room she was in now was _not_ the one she fell asleep in. When she started swearing like a seasoned Asgard warrior, Loki couldn't help it. He scurried on top of the comforters and changed from bug to man. He sat primly in the fluffy mess and allowed himself a gigantic smirk. What he didn't account for was how deadly Alice was with a pillow. Soon, it was snowing feathers and Alice had escaped the room. He prowled after her and caught her just as she was about to grab a steak knife from the block on the kitchen counter. When he swept the house last night, he'd left that little gift. He hoped she would try something like this. Throwing her over his shoulder, he marched out into the cold and through the small copse of trees at the edge of the lawn. She started pleading when the water came into view, but Loki just continued down the small path between the snowy grounds and dock. Without ceremony, he tossed her into the freezing water. He used his magic to push her down a few feet for good measure and then headed back inside.

As soon as he settled before a cheerily crackling fire in the living room, she came sopping in.

"I thought we had a truce." She said that like she'd always known he wouldn't keep his word. Smart girl.

"Yes. We do. I won't try to kill you as long as you don't try to kill me. This means that without murderous intent, I can push you as close to death as I want." He had the gall to pick up a paper and snap it open.

She started towards him.

"By all means, try. It's only fair." The fire in the grate _froze_, her clothes freeze dried, and her dripping blonde head solidified into haircicles.

Alice changed course and aimed for the bedroom. After a very long and very hot shower she braved another confrontation. He was still sitting in front of the fire, which was back to normal, but the paper was gone. She sat down in the armchair next to him and scooted as close as she could towards the warmth.

"Where are we?"

"North."

"_Loki_." She prodded him with her magic.

"In the middle of Lake Erie."

"What the...? I'm not going to get an explanation, am I?"

"No."

She sighed and snagged his cape.

Loki let her have her small victory. He was still on edge from her magic. It was distressing how much it liked trying latch onto him when Alice wasn't hurling attacks in his direction. Which were all still clumsy forces of power. She was like a toddler that had been given a bazooka. Aware enough to fire, but completely ignorant of the power and the implications. Karnilla was as close as he could come to a comparison. _Her_ magic didn't do this. Before now, he'd be hard pressed to consider magic as something that could be this responsive on its own. He was almost certain that this was the only case he'd find.

More of his cape was tugged free of his back. Shaking his head, he unclasped it and draped the whole length of wool over Alice snugly. She was so ignorant. He could trick her into turning herself into a matchbox, or a jewel, or some such, and this annoyance would be dealt with. Slap some barriers around her and slip her into his magical 'storage area' and a decade or two would wear her down nicely. But...

He wanted to use her, _craved _wielding all that potential.

She had dubious ties to Myrkr. He shouldn't like that, but he did. She had dubious ties to his brother. He didn't like that at all. She had dubious ties to the Avengers. Negligible. At least for now. And she had definite ties to Asgard. That was just...depressing.

But what fun it would be to shape the chaos, mold her power into his own image of strength. Getting to torment her was just a perk of the job.

He would teach her.

It was the biggest mistake he could make with this situation, but he would teach her.

**~#~**

Lessons started abruptly for Alice. The cape was snatched away and the chair dragged so that she was facing Loki.

"I'm just gonna..." before she could make a break for it, his booted foot came to rest securely on her stomach. As an afterthought, he tossed the other one across the arm of her chair. She was effectively pinned down and boxed in. He then started a rambling lecture on the fundamental principals of magic and energy work. At the end of Loki's two-hour rant she was informed that there would be a quiz on the material the next day. If she didn't pass, she would get dumped in the lake again.

The test, of course, was rigged. It took her a month of ice baths and a hefty amount of theory and practical application before she finally started using her magic to cheat. Amazingly, it took her teacher a week to catch on (more like he gave her a week's reprieve) but then he cracked down with a vengeance. After two months, she was practically immune to the cold and comprehending teachings that it took the Asgardian prince years to master.

He was green with envy, a tad bit irritated, and downright addicted.

In between lessons, he often flew off for more mischief. The Avengers had quieted down. When they were on missions they no longer stuck to the strange schedule they did before.

He had a very solid theory about this.

After a minor incident that resulted in him having to retrieve Alice from the breakwater off of Cleveland, she stopped trying to flee the island. Maybe it was because of her own free will, maybe it was because of the gigantic squid monster he added to the shallows. Who knew?

Still, he kept her in the dark about most things going on outside of her little prison. Which was why, when he came crashing through the roof of their charming cottage, she was prepared. In a stroke of cosmic justice, he landed right in front of her chair. With a nonchalance Loki would have approved of, had he not been used for the footstool, she kicked her legs across his chest and went back to her sudoku.

He shrieked in fury and yanked her down onto his chest. Her mouth was pried open and an apple shoved in. He pinned her relentlessly until she ate the entire thing - seeds and all - and then hurled her at the wall. She hit a window and flew straight through the glass. As she bounced across the snow, a familiar feeling tingled through her body. That was an apple from Asgard!

Loki was still lying on the floor when she made it back inside, calmly eating his own apple.

"Did you say hello to your father, at least?" A fire poker was flung with meticulous precision. It missed, but just barely.

"_Okay_." She hightailed it to her room. A few hours later, he kicked the door in, shoved her off the bed, and covered himself in blankets. She rose up to strike back in retaliation, but was cowed by the hellion look in his green eyes. She didn't like letting this go. The daily dunking she put up with only because it got her a magic lesson, but _this_...this was far beyond their normal slapstick banter.

He had gone back to Asgard, his home, _his _prison. Alice blamed him for this spoilt attitude, but also understood. The door was slammed in her face when she tried to tactfully withdraw, so in frustration she slumped to the floor as far away from him as she could get. In the morning, she awoke wrapped in blankets. The bed was empty. The prince was at his usual place before the fire, staring pensively into the flames.

**~#~**

After that, Loki's attitude changed, and not for the better. It was becoming more obvious to Alice how possessive he was getting over her or, more specifically, her power.

Things finally came to a head one evening when he enchanted all of her belongings to smell like him. It was really just a harmless trick for Loki. She was able to handle this type of magic now and he knew that it would irk her to no end to have to change it all back. Especially if she was reminded of him.

Her roar was so loud that it shook the windows. He couldn't resist. He made his way to her en-suite bathroom. A shampoo bottle was flung at him so hard it cracked through the plasterboard and cemented itself in the wall.

"Change it back, you bastard!"

"You're more than capable of doing that yourself."

"_You_ did it_. You_ FIX IT." A muttered, 'sadistic little fucker' followed.

'_Sadistic, eh?_' He mused, then did his absolute worst. He knew it was a low blow to climb into the tub, but he did it anyway.

When Alice realized that Loki was leaning rakishly against the tiles, fully clothed and eyes glued above her shoulders, she froze. He flourished his hand out expectantly.

"See, I'm fixing it."

With Steve's help, she was breaking punching bags in one hit. Loki was _not _a punching bag. He crunched more satisfactorily and flew much farther. He soared into her bedroom, spurting blood. She snaked her hand out and slammed the door, tided the shower curtain, and proceeded to clean her hair. _With the damn Loki-smelling conditioner._

She had just got it rinsed out when he hurtled back in. Yanking down the shower curtain and slamming the tap off, he dragged her out. He looked positively demonic with his eyes twinkling crazily and a swath of red covering his face and shirt.

They both paused, unsure if they wanted to continue this particular battle. Finally, Alice slowly tried to slip her arm out of his grasp. He shook his head.

"Oh no. _You _started this." He slid his hands up her ribcage and then tossed her into the bedroom. "_You_ FINISH IT."

The house shook as they punched, kicked, and magicked their way across the tiny space. By the time they destroyed the kitchen island, Loki had realized that Alice was still fighting buck nude. And that he had an erection. Ever one to press his advantage when it suited him, he damned the consequences and shoved her up against the wall.

The kiss Alice received was savage and dominating and thrilling. It was a _horrible _first kiss. She whacked him over the head but he wouldn't let go. It didn't take long for his fingers to start doing...things...and then, against her better judgment (and in total agreement with the little devil on her shoulder), she was on board with the happenings one hundred percent. For the next few hours, the poor cottage took even more damage as they flung each other over furniture, beds, ceilings, and any other available surface.

The first light of dawn saw them collapsed on his bed. As he drifted off, Loki kissed her shoulder and breathed with earnest possessiveness,

"Mine."

Alice could feel his smile on her skin as he fell asleep. She frowned.

She could definitely say the sex had been mind-blowing (if a little a painful). And it was worry free - he had used protection. But she couldn't stifle the fact that had been made clear to her: Loki was becoming dangerously obsessed with her power. And she was convinced that her body might be added to that statement, too, if this continued. She was not some sappy romance-novel heroine. She did not love him. There might be potential, but he had so many issues, she really didn't want to let herself fall. But this wasn't what scared her.

She knew he could go full-out bonkers if he got possessive enough. She was strong enough to fight. She just didn't know if at this point in time she was strong enough to win. And to be his property, a _pet _kept for his amusement and whims was not something she wanted. What absolutely, thoroughly, utterly _terrified _her was the chaos and relentless pursuit that he would drag after her like a furious tornado if the tether between them became stable.

She had to go before it was too late.

It was time to call Myrkr.

Once Loki was sound asleep, she tenderly stumbled out of bed, slipped back to her bedroom and put on the very same outfit she was wearing when she came to the island - the S.H.I.E.L.D. uniform and tactical gear.

The weather was nice for early April. Accompanied by a mild breeze, she walked down to the dock. As she neared the shore, she raised her hand to the fiery morning sky.

**~#~**

The S.H.I.E.L.D. barge was still floating over Myrkr, a token of the hope that Fury and the Avengers were keeping alive. On an early spring morning, something rocketed through its hull and leapt into the air.

As the Director received a report on the sinking boat, he called a meeting. Alice was somewhere out in the world, away from Loki's influence, and they were going to find her.

**~#~**

Alice crossed the country like a shooting star. Nearing New York, she aimed Myrkr towards the ostentatious Stark Tower. Clumsily alighting on the Iron Man landing pad, she was met by Jarvis. Having been introduced during training, he recognized her clearance and welcomed her inside. She gratefully sank into the first chair she came across. Minutes later, a hidden monitor turned on and Tony's face popped up, looking concerned and relieved.

She was safe.

"Tony?" she questioned.

"Alice! Where the..."

"TONY!"

"Er...yes?" He pulled his patented puppy dog look.

"As soon as I get back to base, we are playing a game of poker."

"Anything you want, babe."

"And the jackpot is going to be a shit load of Snickers." Loki wouldn't let her have Snickers. In general, junk food made a rare appearance on the island.

Stark didn't have time to answer as Fury shoved him out of the way.

"Miss Ward, welcome back to active duty. Now, exactly where have you been?"

**~#~**

Loki was content. He curled further into the covers and ran through a mental replay of last night. Alice had been...astounding. More than that, he had been her _first_. She was thoroughly his, in magical might and now in body, and he intended to keep it that way. Grinning into his pillow, he quested an arm out in order to snag her for another round.

And was met with an empty bed.

He was going to kill her for going to get breakfast instead of sticking around for a morning fuck. And then he'd drag her sorry hide right back to the mattress.

He forced himself out from under the sheets and stalked into the kitchen. It, too, was empty. Where...?

"Allfather, _no._"

He sent out as many doubles as he could to search the island. She was gone.

Loki's scream of rage was so violent that seagulls floating half a mile offshore skedaddled.

Why did she...?

_How_ did she...?

He stormed into her room. The closet was open and her uniform was gone. She was fleeing back to S.H.I.E.L.D. Laughter bubbled up and flowed through the room. Silly girl. It was too late. Even Loki himself realized that there was no way he was going to let her go.

If Alice had been privy to his fit of insane cackling, her very soul would have trembled in fear.


	5. Chapter 5

**Thanks to all my readers and a big, BIG thanks to my reviewers, alerters and favoriters! It's oh so nice to know my twisted little comedy-drama is liked ;)**

**On that note, it was slightly disturbing to realize that my Harley theme song, 'Maybe I Like It This Way' ((youtube)/watch?v=Ew8MgKv8kQc&feature=fvwrel) could possibly apply to Alice and her relationship with Loki. Gosh, and it only gets _more _perversely warped from this chapter on, but I just can't help it – these characters are meant to be tortured ^_^**

**~#~**

Alice was escorted back to base by at least four S.H.I.E.L.D. helicopters, two jets, and a very happy Thor and Tony Stark. Tactically sound movements be damned, the three played tag as they kept pace with the floating armory.

The debriefing went relatively well. The helicarrier had, obviously, been fixed and was on its way to a new position in the Pacific. Clint had been back with the team since she disappeared, although Bruce somehow managed to slip off to the jungles of South America in February, and Cap was in California on a publicity mission. There was one new face at the table, though. Fury introduced him as Hank Pym, or Giant-Man. Slipping back into her 'shy box', Alice greeted him meekly.

Tony laughed his ass off at her.

She threw a pen at him.

It went downhill from there.

By the time the Director released everyone but Alice, they all knew where Loki had hoarded her for the past four months and how she escaped, they commiserated together on how Loki had managed to completely drop the island off the radar and divert their search, and Pym, as he insisted he be called, was indoctrinated into the weird ways of Alice.

Once they were alone, Fury addressed her with a critical eye.

"Miss Ward, I was taking a huge risk debriefing you before I got any details. Please don't disappoint me."

Was he trying to guilt trip her? Alice thought it was a bit laughable after after Loki's brand of mental abuse. Oh, well. She knew she had to explain.

"Magic lessons, sir."

"Magic lessons?"

"That's why Loki grabbed me in the first place. He recognized that I had magical potential."

"As a weapon." he connected the dots. "And exactly how much potential do you have?"

"Enough to agree to a truce."

"Which means you stayed of your own accord. You worried us greatly, Miss Ward."

He stared her down until she ground out, "Yeah. I know. Bad Alice."

"Does he know about Myrkr?"

"He's aware of the weapon. Was suspicious of my connection to it. But I don't think he confirmed it."

"Well, we'll try our best to keep you out of the limelight for a while yet."

"Thank you, sir." Alice twitched towards the door. She knew what was coming.

"Now, before I let you go...you told us _how _you escaped but not _why_. Was your training done? Did he force you to bail somehow?"

"I was still learning the basics when I left. But..." She suddenly found herself back in the 'shy box.'

Nick Fury watched as her face turned red and she sunk into her chair. "Miss Ward..."

"Er...he was getting...possessive...I suppose?" She squeaked. "And then I, um, kinda...slept with him...?"

When a vein on the Director's head popped and the pen in his hand snapped, Alice realized that she had phrased that explanation badly.

**~#~**

Loki made only one move after Alice's flight. The day after she left he flattened downtown Detroit so completely that if it wasn't so horrific, the destruction would've been comical. It looked like a city-pancake. After that, he silently melted into the woodwork.

The whole of S.H.I.E.L.D. knew that there was still another shoe left to drop, they just didn't know how or when the Asgardian prince would enact his revenge.

**~#~**

After it was confirmed that she was probably on the top of Loki's shit list, Fury had put her on lockdown. She was confined to the ship until further notice. The reason for her escape was not mentioned to the others. All they knew was that Alice would be continuing her lessons as soon as they set down off the west coast. Also, Thor had been told about Alice's magic. While he was intrigued to find that a mortal-turned-Asgardian had the chops necessary to handle such higher-level functioning, he couldn't offer any help - he was of the warrior variety and didn't have more than a basic knowledge of it. He mentioned the possibility of continuing her training with an Asgardian sorceress called Karnilla. That idea was thoroughly shot down by the Director, since letting her traipse off to another world required a certain leniency on the lockdown decree.

And hell hath no fury like a Nick Fury scorned.

So she was outside hunkered on top of a pile of cargo, grumpily ignoring the fun as the ship sunk into the Pacific, spraying pretty, sparkly waves high in the air.

"A junior Avenger, huh?" Pym's voice came floating from somewhere on the crate to her right.

"Yeah." Leaning over, she started searching the metal. "Where are you?"

Suddenly, he was right in front of her. Catching her curious look, he shrugged, "I change size."

"Oh." Shooting him a politely impressed smile, she turned back to the ocean.

"That's interesting though. Being an Avenger-in-training. Isn't it?"

"Yeah, it is."

"Is it odd being only half-in? I'm an actual member of the team and I _still _feel intimidated." He shuddered comically and she laughed.

"I don't think I've had time to feel out of place. Between training and all, you know?" She shot him a genuine grin. "Although, I have a remedy for you - come play poker with me and Tony one of these days."

Pym gulped at the shark-like expression directed his way. "Maybe."

A page crackled across the deck, warning her to get her butt down to the shooting range for a round of Clint-torture.

As she hopped down, Pym shot out one last question, "An Avengers Academy. Doesn't that sound nice? You could be the first member."

Waiving her hand at him and turning into a stairwell, she called over her shoulder, "Yeah, sure."

By the end of the week the idea had caught on and raced like wildfire through the team.

By the end of the month, she was formally inducted as the flagship member of the elite training program known as the Avengers Academy.

**~#~**

S.H.I.E.L.D. had been battling an unknown opponent ever since Loki and his inter-dimensional army were defeated. It started out as small incidents across the world - a bombing here, a nefarious plot there - but soon escalated to a massive threat.

It was on the day that Thanos stepped out of the shadows and to the head of a gigantic alien army that Alice was given her second mission. All superheroes were swiftly called in and prepped for the massive battle that was to ensue.

**~#~**

Loki watched from his perch on the Hollywood Sign as the battle raged across the hills above Los Angeles. Unfortunately, the giant Avenger did a splendid job of containing the fighting and drawing it away from the city center, so the chaos and destruction did not meet the devious Asgardian's exacting standards. It seemed as though Fury was going all out for this fight, which was the only way they were going to win since Thanos was a mighty opponent. Loki was very tempted to take the bribe offered when the super villain finally revealed himself even though, still irked at his botched takeover, he wasn't offered much by the Titan. However, his princely pride demanded he spit at the villain's feet for such blatant disrespect. It was quite the quandary until Odin was mentioned. He hocked a loogie and was promptly booted out on his arse. The prior threat of torture and death was reinstated and Loki became irritatingly busy dodging assassination attempts.

Which was why he was there on the fringes, actually pleased as the Avengers started to rise to the top of the fray.

Suddenly, there was a brilliant flash off to his left. Seconds later, a shockwave blossomed on the crest of a hill a few miles ahead and an already airborne horde of aliens went sailing. In the aftermath, he spied a figure in the epicenter and his breath caught. Alice stood boldly in the cleared crater, sunny head glinting and indigo cape snapping merrily in the wind. Dumbly, he wondered why she was always after his cape if she had one, too. It took him a second longer than it should have to come up with the answer - a diversion, of course. And then it _finally _occurred to him that her suit of armor was even nicer than his brother's.

Another round of minions converged upon her and she ducked out of sight. She wasn't using her magic, and he didn't...

"OH!"

Myrkr bowled over another wave with a titanic gravitational shove. The little deviant had been holding out on him, after all. His eyes trailed after her in grudging glee as she obliterated opponents across the valley below. Unlike Thor, she fought with a delicate precision that ensured every movement was used to its fullest, almost like she was dancing through the battle. Alice had just dived into another writhing mass when he spied a familiar red cape barge its way into the action. In an unnerving feat of tandem hammer throwing, they easily stepped into sync and sent bodies flying. It was beautiful, really. Thor was moving as Loki had only seen him do with Sif at his side, except that Alice with her hammer complimented him far more than the Asgardian lady ever could.

It almost made him cry in rage.

It _did_ make him chuck the drawn out and absurdly evil plans he had for Alice's recapture in favor of paying her a little visit.

**~#~**

Loki was on her bed.

She had just gotten back to base from one of the biggest battles in the history of S.H.I.E.L.D., only her second (and first successful) mission, and just wanted sleepy-time. That's all. Blissful, undisturbed, worry-free slumber.

But Loki was sprawled across her shabby comforter like a goddamn jungle cat.

And he was staring at her like she was small game.

Alice recognized, deep in the 'good ideas' section of her brain, that she should probably be a tad less laid-back about this. Spurned super villain = instigator-sized red spot on the wall in almost every case Fury had been kind enough to torture her with. She was even awake enough to feel slight embarrassment for that one, lust-filled night. By the equally-as-smug looks he was giving her hammer, he knew the extent of her Asgardian ties. Yet another thing to heap on the pile of Loki worry. But she was _soooooo_ tired.

"You know what?" she appealed to the wall, "I don't have time for this."

She flicked Myrkr and the prince was bonked off the mattress like a pool ball that was smacked by a cue. He bounded back up, ready for a fight, but she ignored him, dropped Myrkr by the foot of the bed, and plopped herself down in the exact spot he had been. Wriggling the covers over her, she futilely ignored the dropping temperature.

"Alice..."

"Go 'way, Loki." she grumbled as she pulled a pillow over her head.

There was a hiss and then Alice found everything up to her shoulders encased in ice. Very effectively awakened, she tried to free herself as Loki leaned uncomfortably close,

"Silly, silly Alice. You escaped me and now you _ignore_ me?" she could feel icy fingers slip around her neck, "Not the best move to make, darling."

And then the ice shattered and she was pulled against a very naked and very _blue _chest.

"Um, Loki?" she figured if she was going to die, at least she'd go down swinging, "You look like a smurf."

**~#~**

As she swallowed the morning after pill, Alice felt like her life had turned into a really crappy Harlequin romance novel.

After she had cracked that comment about his frosty blue hide, he thoroughly went to town tossing her around her room and showing her just what naughty things an angry, vengeful Asgardian smurf could do. Sometime during the chaos, he realized that she really wasn't bothered by his Jotun form and things got more...gentle. As he caressed her with cool fingers and icy puffs of breath, she couldn't stop a light whimper,

"_Loki."_

He stopped what he was doing, gave her a terrible smile, and then just held her in the soft disorder of the bed. After a few minutes of terror, Alice tried to scramble away and he let her. She slumped in a corner and Loki spent some more time staring at her with that frightening expression. He finally got up, slunk his way to where she was curled, and then dragged her to the shower. And the violent fucking resumed.

After a couple hours of this, extraordinarily tired, Alice couldn't help it - as Loki had her up against the wall, she leaned her forehead into his blessedly chilly shoulder and swooned. She vaguely remembered being carried back to the bed and being wrapped in an abruptly warm Loki, but when she woke he was gone and she realized that he hadn't bothered to use the protection spell he'd cast last time.

She suspected the bastard somehow knew she'd have to go to the clinic and ask for a specific pill that would raise particular questions since she was _still _grounded and cameras clearly confirmed that she shouldhave been the only one to enter her room.

Within three minutes of her gulping the tablet down, Coulson strode into the clinic.

"Agent Coulson, while I appreciate the visit, this is probably a little too classified..."

"I've been briefed."

"_Reeeeeeally." _The poor agent was temped to shield himself with the privacy curtain he was standing next to as Alice practically breathed fire.

"Sorry, Miss Ward. He had to assign an alternate for your...predicament...in the event that he wasn't available."

"Fine." She deflated back into the little plastic chair she'd been allotted and then glowered. When he realized Alice was not going to cooperate, Coulson prompted,

"I need to know what happened."

"Loki happened. He was in my room when I came back last night." She watched the agent passively process the news.

"So the helicarrier's been compromised. This _is _beyond me." He immediately flicked on a screen in the wall behind him. A secure line was tapped and Fury's face blinked into focus, surrounded by what appeared to be the thick foliage of a rainforest.

"Whatever it is, say it quickly, Agent Coulson."

"Sir, Loki managed to breach security last night and get to Miss Ward."

The Director's eye narrowed on Alice, "Can you confirm this?"

"Yes, sir."

"Are you hurt?"

"Er...no. He sort of dropped in to...er...stake his claim again."

Coulson helpfully added, "She's been administered an emergency contraceptive pill, sir." After Fury had gotten the veins on his forehead head under control, he sighed,

"Well, I can't say I wasn't expecting something like this. Coulson, you know what comes next."

"Yes, sir. I'll inform Thor immediately."

**~#~**

Agent Coulson gave Thor permission to take Alice to Asgard for magic lessons. After some complaints from the peanut gallery, he made it clear that a certain someone did not have a say in this particular move and that they should proudly face the new adventure like any true agent would. Alice left the idealist in the dust but was dragged back by an uncomprehending and enthusiastic Thor.

Two very short hours later, she was sulking across the pretty sparkly bridge with only a knapsack, Myrkr, and a grinning prince. Her last hope was that Odin would refuse based on their disastrous introduction months ago and she could go back to her nice, training-intensive life on Midgard. Apparently, the king had been planning recompense for quite a while - Karnilla, Queen of Nornheim, had accepted her as a student for an indefinite period of time.

It was worrying when Thor dropped her off at the gates of her fortress, Nornkeep, and then scampered as if it was the entrance to hell.

Karnilla was a strange woman, Alice found out. Proud and disdainfully independent from the Asgardians, she dressed like a porn star and acted a little too much like Loki for comfort. However, she seemed to always sense what boundaries not to cross or buttons to press with Alice, so they came to an uneasy living arrangement. She wouldn't butt into Karnilla's obsession with Thor's half brother, Balder, and Karnilla wouldn't bother her, period. Lessons were an entirely different playing field, though. The woman was as ruthless as Loki and once she had figured out how much Alice already knew and her astounding capacity to learn, she viciously ran her ragged.

Since they were totally separated from the main court and Thor was back on Midgard, Alice was faced with the prospect of becoming very bored or very learned. It took almost six months, but she fought her way to being decent at all general and even some advanced magic. She still was nowhere near Karnilla's level of competence, but Alice could finally see her own potential.

**~#~**

The Queen of Nornheim watched the projection in horror as the mistletoe arrow flew towards Balder. It was feet away from a deadly hit when the scene magically splayed in front of her throne froze. She started at the quiet stomp of boots in the shadows to her right. Just when it seemed like the rhythmic 'clack-thump! clack-thump!' would go on forever, Loki Odinson's sable head slid out of the darkness.

"Poor Balder. Perhaps Ragnarök will come earlier than I expected." He slithered to the dais.

"What do you want here, prince of Asgard?"

Loki simply smirked.

"OUT!" she screeched, then flung a sizable ball of energy at him. He twitched an eyebrow and it fizzled pathetically until only a sputtering flame floated into and then died upon his breastplate.

"Karnilla, you offend me." He stared her down until she seemed to catch on. Glaring at the awful scene floating before her, she howled out,

"Fine. Just save him."

"Done. I appreciate doing business with you." He bowed mockingly and then glided back towards the gloom at the edge of the room. Just after he was once again swallowed by darkness, the screen unfroze. Inches away from penetration, a dark falcon swooped down and plucked the arrow from its deadly path.

**~#~**

Thor had brought Jane Foster to Asgard. Alice thought that was a miracle in and of itself given Odin's stubbornness about humans coming into the dimension. The Avengers dropping in for a necessary emergency meeting _once_ was one thing (and look how that turned out), but the blonde prince was spouting craziness - immortality, powers, _marriage_. And it seemed as though he wore his father down, if the astrophysicist's attempt at flight was anything to go by. However, there was one requirement to his total acquiescence that the Allfather would not bend on - Jane had to pass a test to prove her worth and earn her place in Asgard.

Alice was so effing glad that Myrkr had been her judge, not Odin. She was half convinced that the woman would be torn to pieces and Thor would have to take what parts he could find back down to Earth to mourn.

She was called to Asgard proper a day before the event as moral support. Whether for Thor or Jane, she still wasn't sure. She was prodded into a dress appropriate for the occasion and then shuffled back and forth between the two by the Warrior's Three. Jane was nice enough, and seemed to be buoyed by Alice's successful transition. Thor was definitely more realistic.

The morning of the trial, she found him on an out of the way balcony, rolling one of Idunn's apples in his palm. When he realized she had found him, he tossed the fruit to her and told her to eat. As Alice munched, they sunk into the comfortable silence they always seemed to find during training. When the drums sounded a summons for the ceremony, he croaked out,

"What if...?"

And with that, Alice knew with certainty which way it would go. She slid her hand into his and then brought it up to her cheek.

"You're strong, Thor Odinson. In both brawn and brains." She rapped on his rock hard chest and they both chucked sadly, "but your real strength is that heart of yours. You'll survive."

She gave him a peck on the cheek and then dashed back inside, leaving him to go collect his love.

Jane didn't pass the test.

In a fit of weakness against the Unknown, she called for Thor and proved that she was not cut out for Asgardian life. Compassionately, Odin wiped her memories and sent her back to a life on Midgard without Thor or S.H.I.E.L.D. or magic.

**~#~**

Alice could only stand a week of Thor's moping. The entire palace shook with his gusty sighs and explosive fits of rage and everyone was hiding in fear. So, after the third time she had gotten into a hammer-fight, she called it quits and left for Nornheim as quietly as she could.

When she got back, though, something was very wrong. Karnilla met her at the gates, eyes flinty. Taking advantage of the girl's surprise, the queen curtly asked her to leave Myrkr at the door, quickly dragged her to the main audience chamber and shoved her in. The huge door quietly and effortlessly snicked shut behind her, leaving Alice in total darkness.

Her brain hadn't even computed that Loki might have gotten into Asgard. The whole point, she assumed, was that he wouldn't dare jump into the dimension. She guessed she should have learned from the Helicarrier incident.

A sparkle of virescent light unfurled, washing over the room.

He was draped across Karnilla's throne, cape splayed and head bent, playing with the source of light, a massive green jewel. He glanced up at her through his raven locks and Alice was reminded of that raw look he had given her when he shoved her off her bed so many months ago. This was not going to be a fun encounter.


	6. Chapter 6

**As always, a big thank you to all my readers and hugs and Hiddlestons to my reviewers, alerters and favoriters! It's oh so nice to know my twisted little comedy-drama is liked ;)**

**I have to wonder – if Loki and Prince Nuada got into a weapons fight, which would win? I wanna say Loki, but Nuada _does_ look like he can hold his own: (youtube)/watch?v=fQtWYvmERiQ**

**~#~**

It was beyond obsession, Loki could see that now. He wanted to possess the girl so completely that it would be impossible to tell where she left off and he began. So intimately entwined that she could not run, had to spend an eternity bound to his own tortured existence. It was not love. He would never be able to dredge that pure emotion out of the stone in his chest. It was more a perverse masochism - to finally claim a creature not as a toy, but as a fellow sufferer, regardless of the fact that he would be the eternal cause of her suffering. Someone to play with and hate with and fight with. Alice would be the family he hadn't ever found in Asgard - the one that wouldn't laugh off the horrors and darkness he reveled in.

He honestly didn't know how, in the few months that he had known her, the situation had spiraled into such a mad fetish. He knew the defining moment had been when she clung to him despite having the illusion of his Asgardian beauty stripped away. He _hated _her for her acceptance, because his heart had given the faintest twinge. As she mewled his name, he wanted to strangle her, kill the little she-snake before the situation got to the point he now found himself at.

Which was so insanely enthralled that he actually transported himself to Asgard to pursue his quarry. What he found there made him want to obliterate a small planet just to appease his simmering temper - Karnilla was ruining his pupil, molding her in ways that would be destructive to his plans for her future. He put a stop it it at once, cruelly maneuvering Balder into a deadly situation to use as leverage. However, before he could make an appearance and accept his wayward Alice back into the fold, she was called to the city proper. Typically, his brother had stampeded over his plans with his own absurd scheme to get his mortal lover a place in Asgard.

Overly curious, he had trailed after Alice as she was carted around the palace. He was enjoying her panic until he witnessed the scene on the balcony. Even though he knew it was innocent consolation, he stormed back to Nornkeep and called in the queen's debt.

**~#~**

"Alice and Myrkr. How strange a paring." He vanished the jewel, but the eerie green light remained. Alice sighed,

"Are the dramatics really necessary?" She shook her head and then abandoned confrontation to experimentally tug on the doors. After a few seconds of futile exercise, his voice whispered across the space.

"I'm getting tired of this disrespect." And then he was there, hands around her neck and buried in her hair. Alice was made of some tough stuff, had been lobbed around and pummeled by her teachers, but as his grip tightened on her scalp, she yelped. Digging her nails into his wrist, she awkwardly followed as he tugged her all the way back to the dais and then forced her to kneel in front of the throne. He slid back into it, leather-wrapped fist still rooted to her head.

"You willingly consent to be subjugated by your human government and yet when a prince of Asgard deigns to clothe you, feed you, teachyou, _rut _with you, you behave like an insolent bitch." Loki stomped on the hand that was discreetly rising in the direction of Myrkr.

"Loki, let me go." Alice said simply. He actually grimaced.

"We both know it's too late for that." But his hand unclenched and slipped down to her jaw. He tilted her head this way and that in clinical fascination,

"I feel filthy for bedding such a mongrel abomination." With a whoosh, leather snapped across her cheek and she tumbled down the steps of the platform.

Alice instinctively curled in on herself. She had _never _been hit like that, ever. Yeah, Loki and her fought, but there was an unspoken understanding that whatever was flung at the other, they could give back just as good as they got. This slap was pure dominance, menace.

It pushed Alice to become something she rarely ever was - _mad_.

Like someone had flipped a switch, she relaxed, casually got up, and faced Loki with a lazy smile. The prince remained as still as a statue as she sidled over and murmured in his ear, "From one mongrel abomination to another, Loki _Odin_son, you're a petulant little BRAT." She twirled away as he swiped at her and laughed,

"You're a shrink's worst nightmare because you are oh-so-simple. So utterly _boring_." She dodged a caustic blast of energy, "And I'm getting tired of having to deal with your pointless emotional fallout."

Loki literally oozed off the the chair, blackness trailing behind him as he stomped towards her. And then Myrkr hurtled out of the shadows and hit his chest squarely, pinning him to the ground. He seemed to realize he was in a situation similar to when Thor had set Mjolnir on him and snarled. Alice walked up to the seething prince and delicately placed her foot on his tummy, right below the head of the hammer.

"And before you say anything, let's just clear the ammunition closet. Poor Alice was your prisoner _willingly_, fucked you _willingly_ because she has a little tiny part of her that is as dark and as twisted as you. Her personality's an effing trip. She's also easy to manipulate." She kicked his side and prowled away.

"_I'm_ not afraid to face my fucking demons, though." She hurled a hissing spell at him. As it connected with his armor, he jerked around the hammer and started to scream.

"That one took me months to learn. It gets the point across quite nicely, don't you think?"

Alice moved until his eyes were more or less focused on her.

"Leave me alone. I am not your property. I am not your servant. And I've just proved that force is fast becoming a very suicidal option for you." She left him thrashing in pain and anger. As she reached the boundary between Loki's magicked light and the natural darkness circling the room, she indifferently offered, "It would be in your best interest to stop your obsession beforeI master magic, Loki."

**~#~**

Alice scampered out a side door and made for her room. As she ghosted through the empty halls, a mantra of '_oh shit, oh shit, oh SHIT!_' was running through her head. When she got angry, she did things that were not conductive to her health or wellbeing. This was why she never got angry.

'_I'm gonna die!'_ she moaned.

Tearing through the door, Alice dove under the covers. She wanted to be somewhere comfy when Loki killed her. The spell terminated as soon as she left the room, but she waited for a good fifteen minutes before calling back Myrkr. She hastily erected a fortress of blankets and pillows and burrowed out of sight. Eventually, the adrenaline kicked out and she drifted off.

He didn't come.

The next day, Alice was forced to mouse her way out for lessons.

**~#~**

Loki lay on the ground well after the spell ended and Myrkr had been called back to its owner.

The ass-kicking he just received was proof that Karnilla had been preparing Alice specifically for battle against him. Damn his pride for overlooking her progress. As much as he wanted to ferret her out and hurt her, he wouldn't. He didn't want a toy, now did he?

He let her stew in her imagined fears until morning and then walked to Karnilla's study. Her eyes got as big as saucers as he billowed in and took the queen's usual seat behind the massive desk.

"Master magic?" he kicked his feet onto the tabletop, scattering some papers, "I've been a student of the magical arts for many lifetimes and I'm still learning." He gave her a glare, "I meant what I said last night. I won't tolerate this disrespect from you. Think carefully about what you say to me, unless you want pain and conflict as constant companions."

There were many things Alice wanted to ask Loki right then, most importantly, how come he hadn't flung himself at her as soon as soon as he walked through the door. Stumped, she just glared back and conspicuously cradled Myrkr to her chest. The prince's gaze drifted down to the weapon.

"Alice, tell me, why did you leave the island?"

She didn't say anything, but her eyes broadcasted clearly enough. Loki chuckled, "I thought as much."

"I'm going to say this plainly, only once. You are _mine_, Alice Ward. Wherever you go, whatever you do, I will hunt you down. You might be a match for me in power, but in strategy and perseverance I excel. _I. Will. Win._ Last night is the last leniency I'm going to show you."

Alice pointed Myrkr at him.

"You're trained enough now that you could use that to end me, but you won't. You sabotage yourself. I wonder why, hmmm?" He straightened and folded his hands in front of him, "If you don't use Myrkr seriously, then fighting is a waste of my time and yours. Now, what were you last learning with Karnilla?"

"Huh?"

"I'm going to be taking over your lessons. I need to know where to pick up from."

"Oh, no. No. No. No." Alice got up and headed for the door. "KARNILLA!"

Before she could reach it, Loki was wrapped around her like an octopus. "Respect. Consideration. You give these freely to those around you. _To my brother. _Is it so hard to see me as anything but the enemy?"

"Loki, you just said you _own_ me. What in the hell makes you think I'd be nice to you?" She elbowed him, "Now get off me!"

He just yanked her head to the side, bit her neck, and then shoved her to the carpet.

"You're sick." Alice felt a trickle on her collarbone. When she gently pressed, her fingers came away coated in red. "Oh my god." She tightened her grip on Myrkr. "I don't respect you because you're a sadistic bastard. You know _exactly _what you're dong to me."

Loki leaned down and dragged her back to him. He growled in frustration, "Do you blame a bull for its combative nature, a tiger for being a predator?"

Alice ducked her head. Slowly, her bloodied hand slid up the armor and cupped his cheek. "Do you want to know why I haven't used Myrkr to try and kill you? I didn't even know myself until just now." She let go of the hammer and gently caressed the other cheek, guiding his face downward. She placed a tender kiss on his forehead and then whispered, "Because I pity you."

She backed away from his stiff arms, grabbed Myrkr, and walked out of the room.

**~#~**

Loki came for her that night. There was an epic fight but eventually Alice gave in. It was pure torture for both parties involved. Afterwards, Alice cried as he held her possessively on his lap, calmly stroking her hair and smirking as he planted kisses onto her nearly healed bite mark.

Alice wanted him to leave, but he had her cemented in his embrace. As she drifted off, Loki snuggled them both into the covers.

"You're the one that should be pitied, my Alice." He hissed into her hair.

In the morning, he didn't even bother to pursue his obvious arousal, only dragged her out of bed and chucked her into a freezing bath.

During the following weeks, Alice was worked at a furious pace. Karnilla hadn't shown herself since the day Loki had revealed himself, so she could only come to the conclusion that the queen had something to do with her current predicament. Her aptitude grew quickly, at least in the subjects Loki approved of. She knew now that he was leaving a lot of the offensive magics out of her training, but every time she brought it up, he would purposely ignore her. And when she tried to sneak out of the fortress, he would be calmly waiting to collect her right at the point where she thought she was going to get away with it.

Nights were the worst, though. Loki wouldn't leave her alone even to sleep. She would stubbornly go to bed in her own room but wake up in his emerald sheets, curled into his often-blue chest.

Alice got through two months of this, knowing that at some point _something _had to give. It came upon her suddenly - one moment she was sulking in the shadows of the throne room, savoring her rare freedom, the next moment, Thor came striding in. She was in such a state of paranoia that she didn't know if it wasn't one of Loki's illusions until she saw Mjolnir. She whizzed to his side and hugged him tightly.

"Hello to you, also, Alice." Thor chuckled and patted her frizzy hair. It confused him - he didn't remember her hair being that unkempt. Then he pried an arm off his waist. It was painfully thin. "Alice, what happened to you? Is Karnilla...?" She stopped him with a quick shake of her head.

"Loki," she whispered.

The warrior immediately went on alert. "My brother is in Asgard? For how long?"

"At least two months."

"And he has been tormenting you?" At Alice's nod, he started moving them both towards the doors. "I will get you out of here."

They were stopped by loud clapping.

"Bravo, brother. Always the hero. And you, Alice, you make quite the tempting damsel in distress."

He appeared in front of them in full armor, holding a trident Alice had never seen before. He pointed it at Thor's neck, "Back off, Thor Odinson. The girl is mine."

"Loki, this has to stop." Thor tightened his hold on Alice and raised his hammer. "Alice is not yours to claim."

"Then who does she belong to? _S.H.I.E.L.D.? You?_"

Alice glowered over the blonde prince's bicep, "Myself."

Loki threw his head back and laughed.

Thor ignored him and asked Alice, "Are you well enough to fight?" She immediately raised her hand. He let her go when she caught Myrkr and they flowed into a dual fighting stance. "Please do not make us do this, brother."

Loki's response was to hurl a huge blast of energy at them. Alice barely blocked it with a hastily erected shield, but Thor shot her a look of wonderment. He turned to parry a thrust from the spear and then they were all battling. Alice didn't want to admit it, but she was nowhere near as good as the two brothers. Though she helped Thor to a certain extent, there came a point where she had to let them fight on their own. It was weird to watch. Clearly, they had been trained together since they echoed each other's moves perfectly. However, Thor had the hammer, and he was simply a better warrior than his brother.

When Loki realized that he was going to lose, he created an army of doubles. Thor knew what the other was trying to do and shouted, "Alice, run!"

But it was too late, he lost track of the real trickster long enough for him to slip over to where she was leaning against a pillar. The spear was heaved at the blond god and then she and Loki were hurtling through a rift in dimensions.


	7. Chapter 7

**Thanks to all my reviews, favoriters, and alerters. Unfortunately, Hiddles has run off, so I can only offer hugs today ;) Also, thanks to all my readers - the traffic has been greatly appreciated!**

**~#~**

It was with exquisitely bad luck that Loki found himself crashing into the black waters of the Spring of Ebony. He shot to the bottom in a hiss of residual heat from the jump and kicked back up. Breaking the surface, he frantically searched for Alice and spied her already paddling towards the rocky shore. His armor was heavily waterlogged, but he managed to make it back to land the same time as her. They both collapsed on the mossy shale, coughing and spluttering. It took him a few minutes, but once he caught his breath he flung himself onto his back, dramatically plonked an arm over his face, and cackled.

After an entire minute, Alice was starting to get worried. "Um, Loki...?"

The arm slowly slid down and clutched his middle, as if willing the chuckles to subside. He gave her a very considering look and then picked up a pebble with his free hand. As he slipped his gaze around its smooth surface, he said with an air of a doomed man, "Of all the places, in all the worlds...we just landed in _the Spring of Ebony_."

"And that's bad, why?" Alice coaxed.

The stone was flung at the water violently. "When one bathes in its cursed waters, one, unfortunately, _dies._" He didn't let her have more than a second of shock before he continued, "Well, a native of this world, that is. We just lose our godlike powers for a fortnight and a day."

Alice could see why he was a bit...unhinged at this prospect.

"With the absurdly awful fortune that seems to cling to my coattails, I've managed to magic us into..." he flicked his hand above him in frustration and then flopped it back down.

Alice took a quick look around as he sighed in self pity. The small lake they had plowed into was reflecting the midday light with an inky eeriness. Though surrounded by what looked like a foreboding forest, it did not mirror any of the trees that skimmed its bank. There was an aura of wrongness to the place that made her want to shiver.

"Where are we?" She actually tried to prod him with her magic, which she hadn't done since she started lessons, but came up empty.

"We're in the realm known as Svartalfheim; home of the dark elves." He finally sat up. "The land's peaceable for the most part. The problem is that we're stuck in the middle of the massive wilderness that protects this hellish pond. Without magic..." He shrugged and went back to pouting. Until Alice asked,

"Where's Myrkr?"

Loki shot to his feet. "That's right! You were holding it when we teleported."

They both scanned the area and spotted it across the water, laying cratered on top of one of the large boulders scattered along the shore. They hurried over and Loki boosted her onto the rock.

"Do you think it'll still work?"

"I don't know. Pick it up." He reached up and gave her hand an impatient nudge towards the handle. Alice gripped the leather and pulled. To her relief, Myrkr easily responded and she felt a tiny amount of power leak back into her system. She jumped to the ground and experimentally swung at the boulder she had been on. It shattered with only the barest of impact, showering them both with dust and gravel.

"Well, at least we won't be totally defenseless out here."

Loki glared death and brushed off what dust he could from his moist armor.

"You just announced our presence to a forest full of predators." Ignoring Alice's grunt of frustration, Loki swiveled and scanned the area. He hit a certain spot across the spring and stiffened. "We should leave." Without preamble, he grabbed her arm and dragged her into the forest. As the trees closed around them, Alice saw a huge fox-looking creature pad to the water. Its eyes were tearing blood and its muzzle was shot full of wicked looking fangs. She galloped past the prince as quietly as she could. Although her hammer might just be able to smush whatever that was, Alice really didn't want to try her luck.

"Why the _fuck_ is that thing guarded by all this?" she hissed, "It doesn't make sense."

Loki sneered as he kept pace with her, "The water can be distilled into an ingredient for very powerful potions."

"Of course. And I suppose you picked some up while we were over there, huh?" She huffed and his sneer turned into a smirk.

"I might've collected a few bottles."

"I don't even know when you had time. So, where are we going?" They hopped over a massive tree trunk in tandem and skidded down a muddy embankment.

"West, I think. I need a clearing to know for sure."

They ran until they found an overgrown knoll. Alice collapsed into the tall grass with a groan and Loki charted their position. When he finally meandered back to her, he was slightly shocked to see how tired she was. Then again, he had been running her ragged at Nornkeep, and she was starting to look a little sickly. The water had returned her hair to its slick blonde mane, but the damp clothes sunk into her frame, showing how badly the stress had affected her body.

"Alice, we need to keep going." Loki nudged her with his boot. She wrinkled her nose but rolled herself up anyways.

"Er...Loki, you're turning blue."

"The Asgardian glamour was instinctual magic. Almost a physical part of me. It will eventually fade." He shrugged and headed into the trees.

Loki ended up carrying Alice for the last hour as they made their way to a small cave he remembered from one of his maps. He would have liked to sleep in the trees, which were a safer option by far, but his lover looked like she could use a fire and shelter from the wind this one night. Like Asgard and Midgard, it was still mid-March here, and although there was no snow on the ground, the temperature plummeted as the sun set. His now fully Jotun form was not helping. Though he could protect her from getting her flesh seared, he was probably about as warm as an ice cube.

Once the compact shelter was checked over, Loki gathered wood. Alice lit it with Myrkr and then hugged the hammer to her chest. Apparently, with the control of fire came the ability to make it a mini-heater. Draping his cape around her for good measure, he went hunting. It only took one well-placed dagger to pin some sort of fluffy thing to a tree. Wisely, he gutted and skinned the little bugger before taking it back. Alice eyed the meat suspiciously as it roasted over the fire, but when Loki didn't keel over after eating his half, she started nibbling.

When dusk settled over the trees and then crept around their campsite, the forest went silent. Loki suggested that they get in the cave. As Alice used her hammer to spread the fire into a blazing, physics-defying arc around the entrance, she cursed the evil forest of doom. And then she cursed Loki as he dragged her away from the warmth and into his arms. He peered at her in martyred pain.

"Unfortunately, I'm not my brother. However," his expression turned shark-like, "You'll find I'm just as good at comforting _damsels in distress._"

So, he hadn't forgotten about that.

Alice tried to wriggle herself away from his freezing hands but he shoved her against the back wall and stretched out in a wintry barricade of metal and leather.

"Loki, you were the one who put me in the distress." He ignored her griping and slipped her hand to Myrkr. The makeshift furnace was propped between them and Alice was bundled in his cape so securely that she couldn't even move her arms. He pecked her cheek and _cuddled_ around her, like she was his giant green teddy bear.

"Are you really...?"

"Go to sleep, damsel."

And, left with no alternative, she did.

**~#~**

Morning saw them both more refreshed but cranky as hell. Nothing managed to breach the fire, but they found ruts and claw marks in the dirt a couple feet from the scorched semicircle.

"Should we've done a watch last night?" Alice trailed after Loki as he scuffed the remains of the fire and headed into the trees.

"Pointless, at least with the creatures we're dealing with. If they could have gotten through the fire, they would have and then we'd most likely be dead."

"Geez!"

"Why worry?" He snatched his cape from her shoulders and clipped it back on.

"So, how long until we get outta here?" Alice grabbed his proffered hand and she was yanked up onto a rotting tree.

"Without magic...we still have our physical strengths. The curse can't sap what is biochemically ingrained." Loki thought about it and then, "I would say at least three days to the edge of the forest if we maintain a fast pace. Try to keep up."

With that, he kicked off the bark and sailed into the trees. Alice pleaded to any and all higher powers, "Any time now, just strike him down. Please?" All she got was a loud rustle and squeal from the undergrowth. She eeped and shot after the prince.

**~#~**

They had been wandering the woods for three days and Loki was relieved and slightly annoyed with the fact that Alice had not figured out the big ass loophole that all his lies were contingent upon. No magic meant that his cloaking spells were kaput. Thor knew he had been in Asgard, that he'd jumped dimensions, so that meant Heimdall probably had the astral equivalent of a neon sign tagged onto his position. His only consolation was that his brother probably had to visit the capital city and make nice with Queen Alflyse before he could go rampaging through her lands to ferret him out. That gave him a limited window of opportunity to pull off his desperate plan.

While Alice hadn't latched onto this little gem of information, she was getting suspicious that his confident directions and assurances were leading them on a rather roundabout path. When he hauled her over his shoulder in an attempt to move faster, she reached her breaking point. Loki got an elbow to the temple and a bite on the ass. Naturally, he dropped her. However, as he turned to strangle his pupil, Myrkr popped into his stomach and he was flung into the air and over the trees.

"Oops." was all Alice said.

After five minutes she was still waiting. The lengthening shadows were just starting to creep her out when she saw a flicker of light off to her right.

'_Uh, oh.'_ Alice was right to think this. Alice was wrong in assuming that if she kept her distance, she could go investigate. As soon as the flowers bobbled into sight, she was hooked into a trance. They were wispy, rose-shaped buds, each perched on a slender stem. The petals glimmered as if someone had dipped them in glow stick juice and then dusted them with tiny, twinkling stars. All in all, the plant screamed 'I am beautiful. I am deadly. Please touch me.' Which was what she reached out to do.

Loki came around a bush just in time to see Alice reach for the flowers.

'_Damn and double damn!'_ He sprinted towards her, "ALICE!"

But it was a second too late. She started and tried to pull herself away, but one of the buds shot out and slid across her skin. She collapsed silently to the dirt. Loki immediately dove for her ankles and pulled her free as the plant heaved its maw out of the earth and lunged. Making sure she was still holding Myrkr, he dashed away, putting a good half-mile behind them before he stopped and looked at Alice.

She wasn't breathing.

He fell to his knees and the hammer tumbled to the ground.

"Alice?"

He couldn't do his usual magical sweep for toxins. With a trembling hand, he felt for a pulse. And then shook her.

"Alice! You stupid chit, I'm going to ki..I'm going to..."

"_Alice_?"

He cupped her head. Her limp body slid down his leather pants and sagged to the ground.

In that moment, Loki was forced to abandon lies for the first time in his life. No matter how much he tried to stomp out the strange, fragile little flame that had blossomed impossibly in the darkest part of his being, it persevered. And he realized that he was trapped in a hell of his own making and wouldn't leave it to destroy the world.

For the first time since Loki Odinson reached his majority, he cried. The Jotun tears dripped down and froze crystalline trails across Alice's cheeks.

And for the first time in his long life, the proud trickster _begged._

"Please._"_

"_Please."_

"Allfather, PLEASE!" he screamed up at the heavens.

No one answered.

He tried CPR in vain. Eventually, Loki just sat there, sobbing, as he morbidly counted the minutes that Alice's brain had been deprived of oxygen. In a dumb act of sentimentality, he dragged her hand over to Myrkr and clasped both their grips over the black leather. Only his thumb came into direct contact, but it was enough. The hammer surged into his consciousness and tore through his desperation before receding. A jolt of very potent magic shot up Alice's arm, causing her body to jerk clean off Loki and the forest floor. Steam started wafting from her skin then a glowing sludge was sweated out and instantly evaporated. Slowly, she floated back down into Loki's waiting arms. Cradling her carefully, he felt for a pulse.

It was there!

When she took in a huge sigh of air, he wept and laughed and kissed every bit of skin he could reach. She was still paler than he looked on bad days, but a slight flush was starting across her cheeks.

"Alice?" She lolled her head towards his rumbling chest, but her eyelids didn't twitch.

Loki gathered her to him and rocked them gently for a few minutes. Heimdall was sure to have seen Alice in trouble, which meant that Thor was probably zooming towards them, regardless of diplomacy. But they were so very close, now. In fact, Alice had inadvertently knocked him right to it with her surprise attack.

He wrenched them both up and jogged through the forest. The Gates of Faerie rose out of the evening shadows and mist, two slender pillars of dark marble. He just started climbing the steps to the portal when Thor crashed into the loam at the edge of the trees.

"Brother!" he hollered. Loki ignored him and darted for the gap in between the columns, digging his hand under Alice's shirt and pressing flesh against flesh. Whispering the incantation to trigger teleportation, he twirled and hopped backwards. Thor's hesitation at Loki's crimson glare was just enough to ensure their passage. They disappeared in a swirl of electric blue and the blonde's hand cut through empty air.


	8. Chapter 8

**Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU to all my readers, reviews, favoriters, and alerters who have helped this story reach over 1,000 views! I found Hiddles - he was in Detroit - so he's being offered along with hugs this week ;****)**

**~#~**

They tumbled into the Cotswolds, Loki curling around Alice and taking the brunt of the impact. He was up and trekking towards the lights twinkling in the crook of a nearby hill before the energy had enough time to dissipate. The Gates had geas on them to restrict large-scale transport - one physical mass per day was let through. And Heimdall's gaze would find him even more quickly. Loki was good, but he certainly wasn't a miracle worker. He was going to need to hustle in order to escape the Asgardian sentinel and get to his safe house. He didn't want to contemplate S.H.E.L.D.'s inevitable probe at the moment.

They reached the slush-covered village, a typically idyllic English borough, and he headed straight for the alley next to the pub. He left Alice beside the dumpster and slipped into the kitchens. Stealthily, he robbed the place blind. Grabbing two wool coats from the rack by the door, mittens, a scarf, and a huge, grotesquely knitted cap, he hurried back to the dumpster.

Alice was right where he'd left her, sleeping peacefully. He shoved her into the smaller coat, cocooned her and the hammer into his cloak, and then slipped into the other duster. It fit awkwardly over his armor, but would do. He sneered at the prickly scarf and mittens and ugly hat, but stuffed them on anyways, thoroughly concealing his 'smurf' appendages.

He had only read about Midgard's busses, but bravely bought a ticket at the local station. Luckily (for once) he caught the last bus going out for evening tourists and only had to wait around five minutes for it to arrive. They boarded and Loki claimed the back seat, settling Alice on his lap and glaring out the window from under a wool fringe. It took almost forty minutes to reach Bath, a name he vaguely recalled from when he was browsing through emergency routes for his hidey-hole. He carted Alice straight over to the ticket counter and bought two one-way railcards to Paddington station. At least he knew this was in London. The train ran late, but eventually, they managed to be on their way. The only snag in the trip was when he briefly slid off a glove to check Alice's temperature. A stuffy looking matron across the isle caught sight of his blue skin, stiffened, and then hastily packed up her things. As she fled the car, he heard a muttered, '_mutant.' _The term puzzled him slightly, but he quickly realized she was referring to Midgard's genetic anomalies. Of course, with such strange coloring, the Midgardians would egotistically believe he was one of their own rejects. It was certainly a learning experience - even buried in fuzz, he had to be careful of these observant, gossip-mongering people.

They finally pulled in to the city some time after eleven. Loki drifted through the half-deserted station and then outside, tilting Alice away from the cold blast of air that whipped past as they emerged. From a shadowy nook he studied how a few pedestrians hailed a...taxi, if he was reading the sign correctly, and then flagged one down himself. They made it to the flat after a hectic ride. The prince stumbled out and flung some of the paper money at the driver before stomping away. Picking the lock on the front door, he slouched up to the top floor and tiredly activated the blood wards on his own door. It took a moment, but it creaked open. He rushed inside and slammed it, paying close attention to the walls of the foyer for the subtle physical signs that the many shields he'd layered into the security system clicked into place.

Finally, after he was absolutely sure that they were magically guarded from both prying eyes and physical threat, he wobbled into the living room. Sinking into a plush fainting couch, he tore off his disguise with disgust and then gently unwrapped Alice. He was relieved to see that she was almost back to her normal coloring and her breathing was very steady. He reached a hand up and reined in the chaos of her shining hair. Absentmindedly, his efficient fingers skirted over to her face and began making lazy circles.

He didn't want to think about what brain damage she might have. Instead, he let her sleep on as he pondered the implications of his self-admission. The dynamics of his feelings really did doom him to a tormented life with this woman. The twisted care and obsession that drove him brought out the exact opposite in her - Alice hated him with a passion that eclipsed her lust. Would his epiphany finally drive him to let her go?

No.

In fact...there was only one last cliff to jump off of at this point. Would he go that far? Would he risk ruining her for his own happiness? Would he threaten his own stolidly built paradigm in order to do it?

His lips pulled into a cheshire grin and, though he had no magic, his eyes practically glowed with demonic light.

_Oh, yes._

**~#~**

Alice woke in blessed comfort. The luxurious green sheets were typical Loki, so she assumed he had something to do with the non-forest setting. She lifted her head and found him sprawled out next to her, more relaxed than she'd ever seen him. When he was sleeping so deeply, his face was adorably slack. It almost made her want to plant a kiss right on his nose.

Almost.

Instead, she sunk back into the covers and enjoyed the calm before the storm. She was gonna get an ass-whooping for touching the pretty flower. It was almost guaranteed. So she forced herself to go limp in hopes that the predator would be fooled. It took quite a while for Loki to finally stir. Just as she was drifting back off she felt the mattress shift and then his cool skin spooned around her.

She tried really hard not to, but the shiver could not be contained. He was on top of her before she could blink.

"Alice?" He breathed, like he wasn't sure if it was really her.

"Yeah?" She hesitantly replied, confused.

And then Loki hugged her. She stroked his hair appeasingly.

"Loki, are you okay? Did something happen that I'm...?"

He shook his head and then started nipping at her shoulder. "I'm sorry."

"Come again?" Alice jumped as his hand slid between her legs.

"I shouldn't be doing this so soon after..." He looked at her with haunted eyes, "But I _have _to. I'm sorry."

"What...?" but the question was stopped by a very determined smurf.

In the midst of the most gentle ecstasy she'd ever experienced, Loki managed to magically-without-magic make a condom appear. And then she was treated to such passionately considerate sex that Alice thought there was a slim possibility that the stupid flower had offed her and she'd gone to heaven.

After Loki made sure they were both thoroughly sated, he curled against her side, put his head on her tummy, and fell back asleep. Typical male. Alice gently played with the raven strands that had fanned out on top of her breasts. She had no clue what inspired Loki to do that, but she liked it. The prince stubbornly made sure that he was her only lover, so 'rough' and 'intense' very nearly encompassed her definition of sex so far.

Alice smoothed the wild hair against his scalp then dragged the sheets over them as best she could. She soon found her eyes drifting shut again. Before she fell totally asleep, though, she made a serious decision that she would resort to hammer threats to make sure she had a repeat experience.

Sadly, she didn't even have to pull out Myrkr. All it took was an enthusiastically inhaled meal and a bath and they were back in bed, slowly tangling together.

And then Loki rolled them over and gave her complete control.

Alice was smart enough not to ruin the moment by asking her lover when he had gotten probed by aliens. Instead, she rode him till the headboard broke, lobbed him on the settee in the corner, and then kissed her way down his indigo abs to try some very...mischievous maneuvers. By the time she was finished with him, he was weeping in rapture and the cushions he was clenching were freeze-dried.

Something told Alice she'd found herself a very effective bargaining chip.

Loki also liked it when she shyly laid him on the foot of the bed and just...explored. He kicked back with an, 'I'm a god, worship me.' expression and preened. Until she got to his feet, that is. When she trailed one finger down his sole, he _giggled. _In the name of science and national security, she had to try it again. And again. As he keeled over, the trickster decided play time was over. Alice was flipped head over heels onto the mattress and pinned.

"Turnabout is fair play, darling." he growled but Alice gave him such a trustfully pleading expression, he couldn't go through with it. He scooped her up and went back to gentle lovemaking before his thoughts drove him as far away from her as possible.

She truly did not deserve the torture he had planned for the both of them, but his warped mind was made up.

There was a single way to break Alice Ward to the point where she would willingly set her heart in his hand. It was petty. It was juvenile. But it was the only way Loki knew. He couldn't be expected to woo her, now could he? It would be living a lie.

Oh, the irony.

So he let her have her dreams and pretended to be her doting beau.

She'd probably need the memory of these few days in the coming months.

**~#~**

When they were done, Alice's still-healing body collapsed in exhaustion. After an entire day in a coma-like sleep, she finally came to. Loki was standing there as if he knew exactly when she would wake, a peculiar gleam in his eyes and a tray of food in his hands.

And so began an odd, yet satisfying, week and a day for Alice. She never got Loki to tell her what happened with the flower episode or how they got to London. She was clearly suffering from some massive bodily weakness and Loki from what she could only assume was a VERY hard blow to the head. Never once did he break from his thoughtful new image. No task was too small, or discomfort too slight for him to fix. He cuddled, braided her hair, washed her during showers, and actually _cooked _for her. Although she enjoyed this, a part of her was worried. The prince would sequester himself away in the spare bedroom, his mini lab, and emerge hours later with an impish smirk and smelling like he had rolled in an autumn crop of apples. Left out of his plotting, in the silence of the flat, she wondered if it would be a smart idea to do the right thing - break down the magically sealed door with Myrkr and present herself at the nearest S.H.I.E.L.D. office.

She was still torn when the last day of the curse arrived. Loki estimated that they had come in contact with the Spring of Ebony's waters some time between one and one thirty in the afternoon. This was not an accurate figure, given the fact that they were in a different dimension with a slightly different place in time, however, he assured her they would know hours before anything happened.

And they did. They woke to a tingle of magic in the air that gradually built as the morning progressed. As it escalated into steady thrum, Loki led her to the couch and daintily set a delicate green flute on the coffee table.

"May I?" Alice hovered her hands over the pretty shiny thing.

Loki shrugged and sank back with a, "Just don't drop it."

Alice swished the pale amber liquid around and watched as rainbows sparkled across the glass. A crisp, apple scent wafted out.

"It smells like you when you come out of the lab."

"It's what I've been working on." He held out his hand and Alice carefully gave it to him. "The potion helps transition the magic back into our systems."

He swigged exactly half of its contents and then handed it back to her. "Drink."

She did. The liquor slid down with exquisite smoothness and sting. "Yikes, that had a kick."

Loki chuckled and put the glass back in the kitchen. As they waited, he pulled out an ornate dagger and a simple gold ring. With well-practiced movements, he used the blade to flip the circle in the air and catch it again with a clink. After ten minutes of perfect catches, Alice was fascinated.

"Do you want to try it?" He caught the ring on the tiny cross-guard and proffered the weapon to her hilt first. She snatched it up and went at it. Unfortunately, Alice was awful at that sort of slight of hand. After a few awkward but successful tries, she panicked and flicked the dagger too hard. They both watched as it flew out of her hand then pinged off the ceiling and back down. She automatically caught it - on the _blade_. The ring clattered onto the coffee table. Alice twitched, but calmly slid the silver from her flesh and scooped up the band.

"Sorry?" she squeaked. Loki just raised an eyebrow in distaste and gingerly took back the dagger. When she held out the crimson-covered circle, his face scrunched in disgust.

"You can keep it." Was all he said, then grabbed a towel from the kitchen and meticulously wiped down the blade. As if he had an endless supply of gold jewelry, another ring was jerked from a pocket. It snagged on the tiny hem around the opening, flipped out of his fingers and onto Alice's leg. He impatiently commanded her to hand it to him with her clean hand. Once she plonked it onto the outstretched dagger's hilt, he continued his game.

Loki waited until Alice absentmindedly took the towel, cleaned the band off and slipped it on before he fumbled. Suddenly, the new ring found itself on the coffee table, too, and his hand had a deep gash.

"Damn it!" He grumpily bit out and grabbed the cloth off her lap. Making sure she didn't see him grinding his blood into hers, he counted to ten then plucked up the band and slipped it on. Tossing the bloodied towel down between them, he snatched her hands. They both froze and then Alice stiffened in horror.

"Loki, what are you doing?" He ignored her weak plea and hunkered down. When she realized that he wasn't going to budge, she wildly fought for her freedom. The trickster rode the outbursts, an immovable jade statue. After Alice quieted, he whispered detachedly,

"I don't love you as I should..."

"_Oh my god._" He plowed over her sob,

"...but I refuse to cut out my heart for you."

"Oh, god." she cried.

"Yes, I suppose that will be what I am to you after this."

"You crazy bastard" she spat, "what are you doing?"

"I'm going to clip your wings." And he smiled. It was like looking at a little boy who was obscenely pleased at smashing a butterfly under his sneaker.

Alice renewed her struggle.

Loki started chanting about marriage and joining.

The towel hovered into the air, burst into green flames and then incinerated. As soon as the ashes drifted down to rest on their joined hands, Loki finished and their magic stampeded back in. However, instead of settling in individually defined bodies of power, the tide swirled around them both.

Suddenly, Alice _was_ Loki. His consciousness crashed into her own and she wept at the terrible secrets that were laid bare. The prince took the invasion a little better. Having mapped out Alice in minute detail, there was nothing much to discover. Eventually, they were pulled back to being separate halves.

Alice shivered when she felt the unbreakable bond between them. Their magics were far too merged now to ever pull apart without seriously damaging each other. How she acted, how she processed the world, would forevermore be tainted by Loki.

The prince stared at Alice as she shuddered. He honestly didn't want to push it with the last part of their joining, considering her state, but if there was even an impossibly slim chance that deviation would result in a loophole, he couldn't risk it. Better to get it over with while she was still in shock.

He hauled her up and draped her headfirst over the back of the couch. "Prepare yourself, _wife_."

Alice just vomited onto the floor.

By the time the marriage was consummated and the magic-binding spell was completed, Loki was bleeding and Alice was staring tearfully at the ceiling. It wasn't that he hadn't been extremely gentle, it was just that having two sets of sensual inputs was a little...maddening. Fighting her _and_ himself was harder than he thought it would be.

He let her scamper off, half naked. Like a magical GPS, he could now track her movements with ease. Unfortunately, he still couldn't wheedle his way into her head, but her emotions slipped around him. He smiled at her pain.

Ah! How he could get used to the poignant feel of her despair!

He stretched out on the cushions, snapped back on his Asgardian glamor, and took a well-deserved post-coital nap. A sharp stab of pain jerked him awake. Alice was heaving her weight on Myrkr as she pressed it into his chest. The little bitch worked faster than he'd give her credit for. He expected the murder attempt to happen at least a day after their marriage, at the soonest.

"The hammer won't let you hurt yourself, wife." Lightning buzzed, but struck around him harmlessly. Flicking Myrkr playfully, he cracked up. Alice slapped him, but he continued joyfully wriggling and kicking his feet in the air. She raced into the kitchen and came back with a wicked looking cleaver.

"_That_ will work. Sadly, if you kill me, you kill yourself."

"Liar!" she slid it across his neck until it drew blood.

"Perhaps. Either way, you'll never know, will you?" The knife was flung through the wall and into the kitchen. They heard a thud as it embedded itself in the stove door. Alice shrieked and collapsed at the foot of the sofa. He patted her head around her attempts at biting his hand.

Soon, she stilled and then slumped over. He really had to stop carting her around when she was unconscious.

**~#~**

Maria Hill watched from Fury's customary station on the bridge as the super villain Loki landed topside. He walked off the airstrip, dumped what looked like a body onto the tarmac, and took back off. In seconds, the Loki-blip on the radar winked out. Already knowing a search would be pointless, she scrambled the jets on alert status and took a team up to investigate. What she found was one Alice Ward, out like a light. The girl looked worse for the wear - the smell of vomit wafted from her clothes and the fabric was speckled with dried blood. Hair dull, skin pallid, and cheeks concave, it was clear she had undergone a period of either extreme stress, starvation, or both. Even more worryingly, the hammer was nowhere in sight. Calmly, she reached out and shook her shoulder.

As the contact broke the spell, Alice screeched awake, clawing for what she presumed was her tormentor's face. Agent Hill barely managed to dodge and signaled for all weapons to be trained on the Junior Avenger.

"Where is he? Where am I?" Wild eyes rolled over the group and landed on the S.H.I.E.L.D. logo. "What the HELL!"

"You're on the helicarrier, Miss Ward. Loki just dropped you off."

Alice burst into tears.

Hill was at a loss. After awkwardly glancing at her men, she told them to stand down and reached over to pat a shaking shoulder. "It's okay. You're...safe." A hand shot out and squeezed her arm until the bones creaked.

"There's nowhere safe anymore. _Oh my fucking god_." Agent Hill calmly pried Alice's fingers off and then coaxed her up. Leading her charge and their escorts through multiple security checks, they descended to the solitary containment level. Alice balked when she saw the glass cage, but allowed herself to be led in and the door shut.

"I'm sorry, Miss Ward, but, considering the circumstances, you have to be detained until we clear you. Director Fury will be with you shortly." Alice nodded and curled up on the bench. Hill retreated down the steps, keeping Alice in view, concerned. "Do you want anything? Food? Blanket?" Another head shake. "Alright. Alert surveillance if you change your mind." She disappeared through the doors.

Alice let the hum of the lights and whoosh of recirculated air surround her. She didn't know why Loki had abandoned her after what he just did - and at the helicarrier, of all places! A distressingly large part of her was hurt and ashamed and _longing_ for the man who had the other half of her magic. And yet, she knew he had an angle. She got a vague glimpse of _something _when their magic joined, but it was muddled, deliberately obscured. The only constant Alice ever attributed to the prince was his obsession. With her. With his family. With himself. So why?

Why - after he had finally maneuvered her into this horrid bond?

It didn't make sense!

She felt him sail over the Bristol Channel and then make his way back to the flat. From a tactical standpoint it was even more of a headache. For him to hand over his position to S.H.I.E.L.D. like this was a total mind fuck.

She'd already proclaimed herself easily manipulated, but come on!

Alice pulled the ring off and hurled it at the glass. It didn't make it two feet before silently disappearing. She found it nestled, not back on her right hand, but on her left. She threw it again, but it was worse then a boomerang. It wouldn't even let her peaceably slip it back onto her right ring finger. She sank to the floor in frustration, making sure the golden band was tucked out of sight.

Fury came to see her hours later. Alice spied Coulson retreating down the corridor before the door closed, file in hand and phone glued to his ear.

"Good evening, Miss Ward. You mind telling me why you're sitting in my brig instead of up in Asgard?"

"Do I really have to say it at this point, sir? You've seen the footage already." She threw her hands up in frustration. His eye flicked over her disheveled clothing and zeroed in on her left hand. Fury leaned closer to the glass and gave her a very Ricky-esque, '_You've got some 'splaining to do.' _glower.

"The fucker forced me to marry him today." She growled.

"I don't doubt that. You look like you gave him a hell of a time." He dragged the chair out from under the control console and sat himself down a couple feet from the cell door. "What I'm worried about is how you got here and, now, the implications of you being on this ship."

"You haven't heard anything from Thor?" Alice plopped herself down on the opposite side of the glass.

"No. The last report we got was around a month ago. He said he was going to check up on you."

"Well, he did. He almost got me out, too. Loki somehow bribed Karnilla to let him take over my training. I tried my best to escape, but..." She took off the ring and watched it poof back in place. "Anyways, he managed to drop us into another dimension. There was a bit of an accident and we lost our magic. I touched a pretty flower. I don't know how Loki got us to London, but he did, and then..." she waved her be-ringed hand at Fury.

He ran with her bumbled explanation, "That explains the energy anomaly in England. But why leave you here on your wedding day?"

Alice shrugged. "That's what I've been trying to figure out. He bound us, so...I don't know. I just...don't know."

Fury watched her crack. She stubbornly scrubbed a lone tear off her cheek and looked at him in desperation. "What do you mean by bind, Miss...should I call you Odinson now?" She angrily shook her head in the negative. He snorted. "So, what does this binding entail, Miss Ward?"

"I can tell where he is."

"Does it work both ways?"

"Yes. He knows exactly where I am right how." Alice spat.

"And where is he?" Fury cautiously questioned.

"Gone. He was in London, but an hour or so ago he disappeared from Earth. Maybe...somewhere out in the Milky Way? I'd probably need a star chart to show you an exact location." She sighed in exasperation.

"Is there anything else?"

"I don't know. Maybe that's part of the reason he got rid of me so fast. I haven't had time to test _this_." She flailed her hands, gesturing to the air around her.

The Director squeaked back in the chair and crossed his arms. "And do you think _that _poses any threat to this ship or to S.H.I.E.L.D.?"

All Alice could do was shrug and repeat, "I don't know."


	9. Chapter 9

**Here's the next chapter – finally! It's been the first in a long while and will be the last for a bit, I'm afraid. My computer died last fall, taking **_**I've Got You Under My Skin**_** with it. I'd finished a substantial amount of the story already and I was just too disheartened to force myself to try and rewrite it. Inspiration is slowly coming back, so there **_**will**_** be updates – there's no way I would abandon it totally – but they'll be coming very slowly.**

**On a more positive note, I managed to get a glimpse of a bit of what's going on with Cap 2 and, gosh, the movie's going to be awesome (Poor Fury, the police were really enthusiastic about trying to make his SUV more holey than a sponge). Oh, and, as a birthday present, I've allowed myself to start another story. This one is being backed up to **_**two**_** hard drives, so hopefully it will be updated regularly and consistently. My writing is a bit stuffier in Of the Heart, and there's no romance planned, but I think it's got good bones already and I'm really excited about it. It's centered around Loki, of course, but this time it's about him healing, not sinking further into insanity.**

**A big thanks to all of you who favorited and followed, and have really gotten into this story. You really do keep my faith going in IGYUMS, even when I was totally lost.**

**Enjoy and review!**

It was determined that Alice was no longer welcome onboard the helicarrier. Fury simply couldnʼt risk having their position constantly monitored by Loki. However, she was _not _going back to Asgard and Karnillaʼs clutches. She was still a Junior Avenger, though her status was downgraded. She would be given fewer and more obvious missions to avoid having anything leaked or anyoneʼs cover blown. As soon as Thor was alerted and her living arrangements were figured out, training would recommence.

Some options included getting her her own apartment (too tricky to monitor), assigning her to one of S.H.I.E.L.D.ʼs smaller offices (Alice wasnʼt enthused at sleeping in a glorified closet), etc. Coulson wanted to house her at the Stark Mansion. Apparently, in the months sheʼd been in Asgard, the Avengers had picked up a few more pupils for the Avengerʼs Academy and the sprawling Manhattan compound was declared base. Fury still thought it posed too much of a security threat, but finally agreed to a compromise - Alice would stay at Stark Tower until the kinks of her bond were worked out and he was sure she could be trusted with the team.

Tony was enthused. He met her and her pile of boxes on the flight deck with a beast of a plane which he referred to as his, ʻbaby quinjet.ʼ They launched from the helicarrierʼs position over the Rockies and were in New York in under an hour. Alice thought they were going to land at LaGuardia or Newark or even some fancy private landing field. Instead, they flew straight for the tower and he skillfully landed in a small hangar on one of the higher floors. Tony demanded she call Myrkr _before _they got inside so as to avoid

any damage to his precious building. It took a minute for the Hammer to travel across the Atlantic, but it eagerly flung itself into her waiting hand. She was then frog marched straight to the kitchen and stuffed full of McDonalds and Ben & Jerryʼs. He even got a happy meal so she could have her very own Iron Man toy.

"You licensed yourself out to McDonalds?" Alice laughed as she tore into the packaging.

He shrugged. "More like they licensed themselves out to me. They needed their production revamped and agreed to a partnership." He pulled open a cabinet and to Aliceʼs horror, it was filled to the top with tiny figurines. "Donʼt tell me you donʼt love it."

"Geez. Youʼre crazy." She still wanted to adopt him, but sometimes he was just too much. She tossed a fry at his chest.

Tony dipped to catch it in his mouth then waggled his fingers at her. "Hand it over. You donʼt deserve me." Alice hissed at him and stuffed the toy under the table.

"_You _donʼt deserve yourself. Youʼd probably never play with Tony1."

"Tony1?"

"Yes. Clearly, youʼre the impostor here." She stuck out her tongue and grabbed a waiting carton of Karamel Sutra.

When Stark wasnʼt looking, Tony1 was pulled out and stuck feet first into her Big Mac.

~#~

Thor finally made an appearance a week after Alice had been deposited back into S.H.I.E.L.D. custody.

With Pepper gone on a recruiting mission in Boston and Alice in a funk, Tony tried desperately to behave. In between a few hours of actual work, he distracted her with everything his luxurious apartment had to offer. Which was why they were in the common room, embroiled in a furious Go battle when the Asgardian crashed into the Iron Man landing pad, shaking the surrounding floors. The board was rattled and stones were jumbled, ruining the game. They both turned to snap at the offender, not caring if it was the devil himself, but found six feet of muscle and armor standing in the doorway.

JARVIS chimed in, "Sir, Iʼve registered a breach in security."

"A little late there, JARVIS!" Tony huffed as Thor barreled towards them.

"Yes, Sir. Iʼll update my emergency protocols."

Tony turned to Alice, "He does this _now_. Heʼs as useless as an iPhone."

She ignored his grumbling and trotted over to the blonde.

"Alice!" She was pulled into a back-cracking hug. "Are you alright?" He scooted her in front of him and then checked her over, as if making sure his brother hadnʼt branded her or cut off a limb or some other horrible thing.

"Iʼm fine, Thor. Really." Alice patted a bicep appeasingly. "So whatʼs been..."

Her hand was nabbed and tugged up to the Asgardianʼs face. He hesitantly fingered the wedding band, gagged, and then was across the room smashing an end table to smithereens.

"Damn it! That thing cost...a lot!" Was shot from behind the bar. Thor growled and hurled a piece of wood at the glass wall. It whistled through the air and harpooned into a pane, shattering it. "And _that _was supposed to be unbreakable. I want my money back."

"Shut up, Tony. Thor, are you alright?"

"He...you...he..." He yanked on his hair and wrung his cape."I did not think that..."

"Itʼs okay." Alice fluttered after him as he started pacing. "Fury..."

"_Director Fury_," he roared, "did not see fit to tell me the truth about my own brother. You did not. If I knew Loki was _this _serious," he poked at the ring, " I NEVER would have let my father leave you with Karnilla."

A love seat crashed through another sheet of glass. Just as his suit ratcheted into place, Stark dove outside. He caught it midair and flew it out of reach of the rampaging warrior.

"I could feel the perversion he has done even before I saw the physical proof on your hand! This is far beyond what an Asgardian marriage entails. It is slavery. For both parties." A lamp was wrangled out of his grasp, but not before the Iron Man suit took some damage. "He has lost what little sanity he had left. Heimdall warned me, but I did not want to believe him capable of such cruelty."

After yet another piece of furniture was lobbed towards the Chrysler building, Alice stared to get angry. Which, of course, was never good. "STOP IT!"

Thor froze.

"Why is this all his fault? That sadistic prickʼs put me through hell, ruined my life, but I pushed him over the edge."

Blue eyes softened. "You cannot blame yourself for dying, Alice."

"WHAT!?" "You...didnʼt know?" Thor ʻ_huhʼed _and ran a hand through his hair. "Then what..."

"I DIED? WHAT THE FUCK?" Alice took a panic lap around the ruined room. "Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god." And then, "EXPLAIN!"

"The flower you touched killed you; Heimdall saw it. Myrkr revived you..."

And then Tony smacked into a window.

The entire building lurched backwards from the shockwave and both immortals floundered for balance as it resettled. The suit hung there for a second before it squealed down the glass and dropped onto the roof below. Alice and Thor heard an "Oof!" and then jets misfiring. The scuffed armor soon came into view and Stark tottered back inside.

"I was going over Mach 1. Why didnʼt that break the window?" Silence. "JARIVS?"

"Sir..."

"You know what? Forget it. Iʼm still suing ʻem." He plopped down on an armchair that had escaped injury. The thing groaned and then collapsed. Stark relaxed into a rakish sprawl on the floor and questioned, "So, what did I miss?"

"I died." Alice deadpanned.

"Well, welcome to the club, junior!"

"You donʼt count."

"I _am _a law unto myself." He pulled off his faceplate and flashed her a smirk, "Iʼm special that way."

"Bastard."

"Bitch."

"Thor," Alice clamped down on his cape and started tugging him to the elevator, "Come on. You can explain in my room."

"Alice, I think..." The blond managed to wheeze out before being interrupted yet again.

"Oh, no! Sparky does not get to go up there. He ruined my common room!" Only Tony could perfect the thousand watt glare-pout he turned on them. Thor fell for it immediately and ducked his head sheepishly.

"I am sorry for the damage I caused, Tony. I should not have..." Stark zoomed over him _yet again,_

"Sorry isnʼt going to cut it, you behemoth. Pepperʼs gonna take one look at this and, regardless of who did it, blame _me._"

"Of course sheʼs going to blame you!" Alice had gotten the Asgardian wrangled across the room and was questing for the elevatorʼs ʻupʼ button. "Thereʼs a reason why half of this tower is empty, and it isnʼt because the rent is high!"

"Fine! He is _not _staying for dinner, though." Came the childish reply, complete with a foot stomp that cracked the flooring.

~#~

Tony was absolutely serious about Thor not staying for dinner. Lasagna was one of the few things Pepper had managed to teach him to make and he was just petty enough to ignore the buckets of drool and boot the forlorn puppy into a S.H.I.E.L.D. helicopter. Alice grumbled but let it go for the sake of a bigger share of the spaghetti.

However, as they sat down at the kitchen island, Tony noticed something was off with his charge. It was confirmed when his magnificently tasty lasagna was eaten with about as much gusto as instant oats.

"You okay, kiddo?"

He was shot a feeble smile. "Yeah. What Thor told me was...eh."

"The death thing?"

"No. Well, yes. But the Loki thing, mainly."

"Lokiʼs worse then death? Uh, oh. You know we can kick his ass, right?" Alice gave him such a deep, hopeless look that Tony felt particularly shallow. She reached over and gently squeezed his shoulder.

"Yes, I know." Then she started tucking into her meal like it was her last.

~#~

In the morning, Alice lugged herself out of her cave of darkness for some cereal. Taking the bowl with her, she kicked around the destruction in the common room before

heading downstairs. As she stepped through the glass doors of Tonyʼs private lab, she spied, not him, but Bruce leaning over a microscope.

"Bruce!" Fruit loops went flying and ceramic shattered against a cabinet as she launched herself at him.

"Ah...hi." He patted her head and awkwardly looked around the empty room for help, only to jump when she stabbed him with her spoon. "Youʼre worse than Tony."

She ignored him and popped her head over his shoulder as the billionaire rushed in. "I thought he was still in South America."

Stark glared at the cereal littering the entrance area, the ceiling, and the workstation he needed for the day. "So thatʼs what it was. And I havenʼt even gotten upstairs cleaned yet. Bad Alice!" He gently cuffed her upside the head and then pulled a mini cattle prod out from under one of the tables. "Now, just keep hugging him for a second."

Tony pressed a button and the stick lit up like an acetylene torch.

Bruceʼs eyes widened and he leaned back as far as he could in Aliceʼs arms. "Not funny, guys."

"Hey! Heʼs mine to torture. Shoo!"

"And this is my apartment. Share." Torture device outstretched, he followed them as Bruce shuffled his rolling chair and Alice around a counter and towards the door.

"Ha, ha. No, really, stop please."

Tony and Alice sensed a shift in the air around him. Quickly, the rod was tossed into a corner and Banner was set free to flee through the door and down the hallway.

"Aw, hell. Heʼs no fun." Tony grabbed the vacated chair and hauled it over to a monitor.

"Well, that sparkly thingy was a little over the top." Alice pulled herself onto a counter and picked up a nearby fruit loop. "Has anything been on this counter that I should be afraid of?"

"Recently? No." The piece of cereal was scarfed and chased down by another two. "Ew."

"So...Bruce? South America?"

"Weʼve been sending Fury on a merry chase across the continent for over a year." He held up a hand, "Donʼt get me wrong - weʼre fairly sure he just wants to keep tabs on him, but thereʼs something I still donʼt trust about Patches."

"You _might _have a point."

"No, I _always _have a point." He was hit in the head with a fruit loop.

"So how come I havenʼt seen him around before this?"

"He usually sticks to this floor. We reinforced a room down the hall and added a kitchen, so now Mr. Antisocial has no excuse to go upstairs."

"You couldʼve at least mentioned it..." Alice grumbled.

"Sorry, slipped my mind." Tony snapped his fingers and suddenly AC/DC was blaring through the room. "Since youʼre the only one here, you get to be my entertainment."

"What?!"

A Stark-modified bubble gun was whipped out.

"Hey!" Before Alice could escape, a spray of colorful, glitter-infused bubbles were pumped in her direction. "Ooooo! Pretty!" She stuck her hands out and tried to catch the ones within reach. "You. Are. Evil."

"Would you prefer I get out the laser pointer? Or the disco ball?"

"You have a disco ball in here?"

"Installed it just for you, babe." He winked, showered her with another wave of distraction, and turned to work. "JARVIS, you better be recording this!"

A, "Yes, sir." Was heard over Aliceʼs giggling.

~#~

Bruce eventually drifted back in, lured by what Tony was working on. When a laser pointer was slyly proffered, he couldnʼt help it - a now Tetris-playing Alice was bombarded with zigzagging light and a mountain of bubbles. Just like the kitten the Avengers often thought of her as, she soon became over stimulated and dove under a welding bench. Her teachers closed in on where she had cornered herself. Alice shrieked at the onslaught.

It was this impossible scenario that Natasha walked in on. With a smirk, she slipped around Bruce, pulled set of keys from her jacket, and jingled them in front of Aliceʼs hideout.

"You fucking sadists! Donʼt make me get Myrkr!"

"Donʼt you dare." Tony hissed, but turned the gun off. Bruce and Natasha kept on going, but when an arm reached out in what was presumably the direction of the hammer, Stark slapped both their hands away and sat on the edge of the table, blocking them. The assassin raised an eyebrow at him.

"Have you _seen _the common room? I am _not _going to have another hole in the wall for Pepper to yell at me about. So, what are you here for?"

"The meeting?"

"Ah, yes. Hang on a second." He strode to the center of the room and opened some screens in midair.

As Alice climbed out, JARVIS reported, "Mr. Rogers is on his way down, sir."

"Good." He paused and then, "Hey, did you mention anything about Agent Romanoff?"

"Yes, sir. You ignored me."

With nitpicking out of the question, Stark huffed and swiped some programs closed.

"Tony, donʼt tell me this is what I think it is." Alice planted herself out of reach of the Avengers and the bubble gun.

He glanced at her out of the corner of his eye. "I donʼt know. What do you think it is?" "Oh my god. Really?" She waggled her wedding band at him. "Did you forget your briefing? Did _all _of you turn dumb?"

"No. Youʼre banned from the fun, _Mrs. _Junior Avenger. Bannerʼs room isnʼt just Hulk-proofed."

"Gah! Considering this is going against direct orders, Iʼll bet Fury isnʼt in on this."

"I repeat my earlier statement: _we do not trust Nick Fury._"

She hit a questioning look over to Bruce and Natasha. They volleyed with shrugs and, ʻyup, itʼs trueʼ expressions.

"Okay, okay! Just let me know if you need my help. Otherwise, Iʼll be doing some redecorating." She flicked her wrist and a can of pink glitter appeared. Ducking past a confused Steve, she skipped down the hall and out of sight.

"Sheʼs not really going to spray paint my room, is she?" Bruce twitched towards the door.

"Donʼt worry, Iʼve got an industrial power washer in one of the maintenance closets."

~#~

The secret Avenger meetings continued for quite a while before S.H.I.E.L.D. caught on. There was only one so many instances where all of his crack team were gathered at the trouble before he could brief them, knew things that should have only been privy to one Avenger, that the Director could let go. The entire Avengers Initiative (including Banner) faced the fires of Fury, but they held their ground and managed to argue their way into getting a helluva lot more freedom and Stark Tower as their base.

At first, Alice was not included in the deal. Fury thought the same as her - the Loki-bond was still, for the most part, a mysterious risk. But where was she to go? Not back to the helicarrier. To the Stark Mansion? Well, he was willing to take that chance, the lesser of two evils, per se. But everyone stubbornly refused to part with their token kitten and star pupil. There was only one solution, then.

Every single member of the Avengers, including Pym and the newly recruited Peter Parker, voted her in as a full member. This meant that she was technically no longer under S.H.I.E.L.D.ʼs direct jurisdiction.

Fury refused to speak to them face to face for weeks after. Really, it was a win-win situation for the lot of them.


End file.
